Defiance Buzzes Past Bluffton

BLUFFTON, OHIO- The Defiance College men's soccer team scored all three of its goals in the first half in a 3-1 win against Bluffton University in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference contest in Bluffton, Ohio. 

In the first half of play, the Yellow Jackets (4-5-2, 1-0-1 HCAC) attacked the net strong. Freshman Jacob Diffenderfer-Gabbard (Troy) and senior Victor Trifiro (Akron/Walsh Jesuit) took hard shots from the top of the box early in the frame, both landing the ball in the hands of the goalkeeper. At the 5:15 mark, freshman Ahman Khalil (Hilliard/Hilliard Bradley) scored the first goal of the contest, and his third of the season, with an assist from Diffenderfer-Gabbard, to give the Jackets a 1-0 lead. 

Following the score by Khalil, the Yellow Jackets produced five shots. before DC found the back of the net for the second time on a header by Trifiro during the 24th minute to increase the margin to 2-0. Junior Nick Kleptz (Troy) improved upon his season-leading point total with an assist on the Trifiro goal. Kleptz attempted to increase the lead even more just minutes later with a header shot of his own, but it ended in a save for the Bluffton (3-8, 0-2 HCAC) netminder. 

The Beavers got on the board and cut the Jacket lead in half at the 28:05 mark when they scored their first, and what turned out to be their only goal of the contest, making the score 2-1.

Nearing the end of the period, senior Brian Kurtz (Sandusky/Perkins) answered the Bluffton goal with a marker of his own during the 35th minute, with an assist from sophomore Quinlin Armstrong (Kettering/Chaminade Julienne), to extend the lead back to two goals, 3-1. The Jackets continued to put the ball on net as Armstrong took a shot in the final minutes of the half, but the attempt was stopped by the Beavers sending the teams into the locker room with Defiance leading, 3-1.

The two defenses took over in the second half as both teams combined for just nine shots in the final 45 minutes.  Khalil would attempt two more shots in the half, looking for the possible hat-trick, but both missed its mark. Diffenderfer-Gabbard recorded the remaining three shots for Defiance in the period as neither team added any additional goals in the half leading to a 3-1 victory for the Yellow Jackets. 

The Yellow Jackets were able to outshoot the Beavers, 17-8, and also produced 12 shots on goal in the contest.  Khalil led DC offensively with his two goals.  Trifiro added a pair of points to his season total with his goal and both Kleptz and Diffenderfer-Gabbard tallied a point with their assists.

In net for DC was sophomore Clay Musgrave (Upper Sandusky) who played all 90 minutes and gave up just the lone goal in addition to making six saves. 

Defiance will travel to Lexington, Ky. for a HCAC game against Transylvania (Ky.) University on Saturday (Oct. 8). The game is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.