Notes: Men’s Soccer Hits the Road to Take on Huntington

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
Marygrove (1-1-0, 0-0-0 WHAC) at Huntington (1-1-0, 0-0-0 Crossroads)
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: King Stadium – Huntington, Ind.
Coverage: Live Video (Huntington Coverage)

BY THE NUMBERS
148: The Mustangs marched into Columbia, Ky. to begin the 2015 season against the NAIA’s No. 9 team on Aug. 19. The Mustangs stood tall, but the Green and Gold ultimately fell to the NAIA powerhouse in overtime, 2-1. The Mustangs battled tough, showcasing their depth and overall ability after entering the game missing 148 combined career starts (seven starters). 

2: Redshirt freshman Gbenga Ayanwale has been a welcome addition for head coach Matt Johnson this season. On Saturday (Aug. 22) against Bethel (Ind.), Ayanwale tallied his second goal in as many games – finding the back of the net less than a minute after entering the game. The two (2) goals have come in Ayanwale’s first 25 minutes of collegiate action.

10: Junior keeper Austin Valentine has been one of many bright spots for the Mustangs in the early portion of the 2015 slate. After sitting out last season due to the WHAC transfer rule, Valentine has been brilliant in net in 2015 to the tune of a 0.97 goals against average. In total, Valentine has earned one clean sheet in 185 minutes, turning away 10 shots through two games.

A TOUGH ROAD AHEAD
The Mustangs are in for a difficult stretch over the next two weeks beginning with Saturday’s (Sept. 5) match at Huntington (Ind.). After the match at Huntington (1-1), the Green and Gold travels to Pittsburgh, Pa. to take on NAIA power Point Park on Sept. 10. From there, the Mustangs return home to host Saint Xavier (Ill.) on Sept. 12 before treking north to square off with NCAA Division II No. 18 Saginaw Valley State University on Sept. 13.

JOHNSON IS BACK FOR YEAR SEVEN
Back for his seventh year roaming the sidelines is head coach Matt Johnson. The lone head coach in program history, Johnson holds the longest tenure of any current Marygrove coach, topping volleyball’s Jamie Baker who is in her fourth season at the helm. Johnson now owns a 46-60-5 overall record and a 16-10-4 mark against WHAC opponents.

AYANWALE’S PRODUCTIVE START
Redshirt freshman Gbenga Ayanwale (Osun State, Nigeria/Atanda International) has started the 2015 on fire! In two games, the redshirt freshman has posted a pair of goals, one coming at NAIA No. 9 Lindsey Wilson in the season-opening 2-1 overtime loss and the other in the Mustangs’ home opener opposite Bethel (Ind.) – a 2-0 win for the Green and Gold. Ayanwale’s tally against Bethel was the game-winning goal, coming just over one minute after he checked into the game back on Aug. 22 on Marygrove’s pitch.

TIME TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP
Win a WHAC playoff game? Check! Host a WHAC playoff game? Check! Win the WHAC? The latter question is undoubtedly on the minds of the players entering 2015, but the Mustangs veteran-laden squad knows the only way to achieve late season success is to attack the schedule one game at a time.

DID YOU KNOW?
Abdoulie Jallow (Bansang, The Gambia/Rust College) is third in all-time game-winning goals with eight over the course of his three-plus year career. 

A LOOK AT HUNTINGTON
The Huntington Foresters have shot out to a 1-1-0 record to begin the 2015 campaign behind a narrow 3-2 setback to Saint Francis (Ill.) and a resounding 6-0 triumph over Trinity Christian (Ill.). James Couchman has been the lead in net for the Foresters so far, playing in all but 10 minutes while hauling in six saves. Offensive production hasn’t been a concern as the Foresters boast three players with five-or-more points through two games.

THE FIRST MEETING
Saturday’s (Sept. 5) 2 p.m. kick at Huntington will mark the first ever meeting between the pair of NAIA clubs. The Huntington Foresters are one of two new teams on the 2015 slate for Johnson and the Mustangs – the other being another Indiana team, Bethel, who the Mustangs topped by a 2-0 tally back on Aug. 22 in Detroit behind goals from [Gbenga] Ayanwale and Oneil Robinson.

RETURNING TO LEAD THE TEAM
Jallow and fellow senior Oneil Robinson (Montego Bay, Jamaica/Cornwall College) combined for an impressive 15 goals and 14 assists a season ago, totals that helped the pair move into the top four in all-time scoring at Marygrove. Defensively, the Mustangs will lean on a diverse back line that features returners Ali El Habhab, Moussa Diallo, Jeff Okerstrom, Andriy Pelekh and Talal Hamodi. Mohamed Alkhulaidi, Gonzalo Caceres, Gaoussou Cisse, Louismaria Umejeigo return to navigate the midfield.

AROUND MUSTANG ATHLETICS
The Mustangs’ women’s soccer team hosts a pair of home games over Labor Day Weekend. The first game is Saturday (Sept. 5) against Bethel at 3 p.m. while Cleary visits Detroit a day later (Sept. 6) for a 4 p.m. kick. Both games will be streamed live (video) on marygrovemustangs.com/live. 

THE MUSTANG SPORTS NETWORK (MSN)
The MSN is back for another year of live video on marygrovemustangs.com/live, this time with expanded coverage including multiple cameras and added talent! The next broadcast on the MSN for @MGroveMSOCCER is Saturday, Sept. 12 at 2:45 p.m.

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MEN’S SOCCER CONTACT: Tim Johnston | [email protected] /* */ | @tjohnston56
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