Men’s Soccer Tops Taylor Behind Season-High Four Goals

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UPLAND, Ind. — Marygrove men’s soccer moved to 3-4-0 on the season with a 4-1 win over the Taylor Trojans – a team receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches’ Poll – on Saturday (Sept. 19) in Upland, Ind. The offensive outburst nearly doubled the Mustangs’ season goals total entering the game (5) as the Green and Gold tallied four unanswered goals after the Trojans (2-5-1) struck in the 8th minute of the contest.

Saturday’s road victory marked the second consecutive win for the Mustangs against a team receiving votes or in their respective association’s Top-25 poll.

After going down 1-0 within the first nine minutes of the contest, the Mustangs bounced back to tie the game, 1-1, in the 19th minute after senior defender Ali El Habhab (Saida, Lebanon/Dearborn High School) beat the Trojans keeper left via penalty kick (PK). The PK was a result of a hand-ball in the box for the Trojans moments earlier.

Last week, the Mustangs used a Saginaw Valley State University hand-ball in the box to notch the game-winner in PK fashion to upset the NCAA Division II No. 6 team.

El Habhab’s game-tying goal was the first of his career, coming in his 54th cap in a Green and Gold uniform.

Six minutes later, senior midfielder Gaoussou Cisse (Abidjan, Ivory Coast/Lathrup High School) scored his first collegiate goal after Oneil Robinson (Montego Bay, Jamaica/Cornwall College) played a ball that deflected forward to Cisse’s feet. The 25th minute goal was a result of a finely played ball from Cisse’s left foot as the midfielder’s shot lofted into the upper-90 for the eventual game-winner.

The Mustangs tucked in their third unanswered goal of the opening half 10 minutes later when Mohamed Alkhulaidi (Sana’a, Yemen/Michigan-Dearborn) crossed a ball in from the corner to find Louismaria Umejeigo for a goal in the 35th minute.

Umejeigo (Lagos, Nigeria/Mumford High School) beat the keeper right after a well-played ball in from Alkhulaidi, becoming the third Mustang to score his first career goal in the opening half and giving the Green and Gold a 3-1 lead at the break in the process.

In a half of firsts, the Mustangs allowed the first goal and never looked back on their way to owning a 6-1 shots heading into the halftime break.

Abdoulie Jallow (Bansang, The Gambia/Rust College) was the fourth and final Mustang to find the back of the net on Saturday and was also the lone member of scoring players to not tally his first collegiate goal. Jallow fought past defenders to keep possession after a through ball from Andriy Pelekh (Lviv, Ukraine/Salem High School) to beat the Trojans’ keeper from the top of the box.

The goal, coming in the 81st minute of the contest, was the 24th of Jallow’s career and his third in the last two games.

Austin Valentine (Westland, Mich./Concordia-Ann Arbor) pulled to an even 3-3 in net this season in the 4-1 Mustangs win. Valentine continues to impress in back, but was rarely challenged on Saturday as the Trojans only mustered two shots on goal.

The Mustangs controlled possession throughout Saturday’s non-conference tilt and ended the match with an 11-4 shots advantage (10-2 on goal).

The Mustangs begin Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play Saturday (Sept. 26) with a road trip up “The Lodge” to visit Southfield’s Lawrence Technological University for a 3 p.m. kick. 

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