Senior Goalie Mukhtar Saves 13, But Not Enough as DC Falls 1-0

DEFIANCE, Ohio – In a much closer game then the stats show, the Defiance men's soccer team played a great match, but was defeated by the visiting Heidelberg Student Princes, 1-0. The win moves the Berg to 3-4 on the year, with DC sliding to 0-8-0.

In the 23rd minute, senior goalkeeper Sean Mukhtar made a fantastic diving save off a header to keep the match squared zero. This game was Mukhtar's first start of the season, as he was filling in for the injured Sean Roberts and he made the most of his opportunity. 

With the defense holding up from the Heidelberg barrage of shots in the first period, a spectacular no look backwards pass in the box set up a chip in goal from the Student Princes Tyler Eoff to give the Berg the 1-0 advantage heading into half.

In the second period, more of the same continued, as Heidelberg kept shooting away at the net. The team ripped off 8 shots at goal with DC only being able to register one. Fortunately for the Student Princes, the one shot by DC in 88th minute was a Jordan Drake header that sailed just left of the goalpost. The Berg's defense held up and closed out the game, as they headed home with a slim 1-0 victory.

The box score might show that the Yellow Jackets were outshot 25-to-3 on the day, but the team played as hard as they have all season for 90 minutes and never believed they were out of it. With DC tweaking its lineup, the squad is still searching for the right combination to produce a more consistent offensive attack.

A positive note for the Yellow Jackets was an excellent day in the net from goalkeeper Sean Mukhtar, as he registered 13 saves on 25 Heidelberg shot attempts, while only allowing one score.

Defiance returns to action on Saturday, September 22 when they host the Wilmington Quakers for homecoming weekend. The match is slated for 3:30 p.m.