MAGGIE KNOELL
STAFF WRITER
Franciscan University of Steubenville’s men’s soccer team played its first home game and secured its first win of the season with a 2-0 victory against Bethany College Friday Sept. 6.
A minute into the game, senior midfielder Mark Fioramonti shot on goal without success. After about another 15 minutes of going back and forth on the field, sophomore midfielder Nick Miller scored the first goal of the match with a penalty kick.
Following a first half riddled with fouls and missed shots, the Barons left the field at half time leading 1-0.
About 10 minutes into the second half, Miller scored the Barons’ second goal of the game off another penalty kick. The two teams continued to fight for the ball for the rest of the half, but neither could overcome the other. The half ended with a last-minute corner kick from the Barons. Though the corner kick was unsuccessful, the Barons left the field with their first victory of the season secured.
Head coach Christian Bobak was happy with the win, but he maintained that the team could have played better. “We had a lot of scoring opportunities that we didn’t put away,” he said, “but it’s the beginning of the season, so there’s a lot to improve on.”
Bobak also said that the team played much better in the second half after their talk at halftime, and in particular, “the backline has been really stellar this year,” he said.
The Barons next play on the home soccer field Sept. 17 at 5 p.m. for a game against Washington & Jefferson College.