Hensley's hat trick propels Yellow Jackets over Hiram

DEFIANCE, Ohio - Senior Riley Hensley propelled the Yellow Jackets to Tuesday's 4-2 victory over Hiram and recorded his first career hat trick in the game. The Yellow Jackets improve to 3-3-1 with the win and Hiram drops to 3-4-1 with the loss. 

The two teams felt each other out to start the game with Hiram's Keagan Le'Roux recording the first shot attempt of the game in the ninth minute. The first shot attempt of the game for Defiance came two minutes later from Noah Svanberg. 

Hensley opened the scoring in the contest in the 15th minute. After a save from Orry Killam, the Yellow Jackets took the ball up the right side of the field where Griffin Meyer kicked to the other side of the field and found Hensley and from there, he finished it himself. 

The Yellow Jackets didn't waste any time adding to their lead when Zak Klopfenstein scored the second goal of the game and his first of the season 11 minutes later. The Yellow Jackets were rewarded with a corner kick where Riley Hensley kicked it into the box and found Joshua Maurer. Maurer's header was saved by Hiram's goalkeeper Sean Rubin but he could not corral it and on the loose ball, Jack Stanoikovich tapped it to Klopfenstein who put it into the net for the goal. 

Hiram didn't panic and needed just three minutes and 18 seconds to tie the game. Chance McGinnis put the Terriers on the board two minutes and four seconds after Defiance's second goal and Simon Schonfeld recorded the game-tying goal in the 29th minute, one minute and 18 seconds after their first goal. The two teams entered halftime knotted at two. 

Riley Hensley put the team on his back and scored two goals 13 minutes into the second half that came 24 seconds apart. The would-be game winner was a header and assisted by Zak Klopfenstein and Joshua Maurer. Noah Svanberg stole the ball close to midfield, passed it ahead to Hensley and he did the rest as he rushed by the defender and hit the ball just past the outstretched arms of the goalkeeper into the lower right corner of the net. 

Hiram nearly cut the lead in half in the 69th minute but the goal was wiped away for being offside.

The Terriers had a slight advantage in total shots, 16-14. It was a very close contest as the Terriers also had a 4-3 advantage in corner kicks and there were 19 total fouls in the game with Defiance having 10 of them.

Riley Hensley and Griffin Meyer combined for nine of Defiance's 14 shot attempts in the game and Orry Killam recorded seven saves.

The Yellow Jackets are back at it again Thursday night with a road trip to Adrian. Defiance and the Bulldogs will square off at 7 p.m. at Docking Stadium.