Marietta upsets host Kenyon 2-1 in men's soccer
Seita Kawamoto scores game winner in 88th minute

Sept. 17, 2008
GAMBIER, Ohio — The Marietta College men's soccer team continued its hot start to the 2008 season with a 2-1 victory over host Kenyon College Wednesday (Sept. 17) evening. The Lords, who sit sixth in the Sept. 16 National Soccer Coaches Association of America(NSCAA)/Adidas Great Lakes Regional Rankings, fell to 5-2-1 on the year. The Pioneers, who received votes in the same poll, improved their record to 4-0-2.

Marietta's victory pulled them within one game of tying the school record for longest unbeaten streak, which was set in 1996 when the Pioneers went 4-0-3 over a seven game stretch and matched in 2002 when they won seven straight.

Kenyon dominated the possession throughout the first half, out-shooting Marietta 8-3. The teams, however, entered intermission tied 1-1 after scoring a goal late in the period.

Pioneer junior Deric McDonald (Vienna, W.Va./Parkersburg) gave his squad a 1-0 advantage in the 35th minute when he scored his team-leading fourth goal of the year. McDonald took control of the ball 25 yards from the goal, faced up and then bent the ball with his left foot past Jamie White, Kenyon's keeper, and into the back corner of the net.

Reiner Baumerfiend evened the score in the 41st minute with a mirror-image maneuver. He took a pass from Miguel Barrera from 25 yards away and bent a shot with his right foot out of the reach of Marietta's Steve Hagenau (Clearwater, Fla./Central Catholic) for the goal, just the second he allowed this year.

Marietta Head Coach Pat Holguin made a tactical switch late in the second half, which sent McDonald back to the midfield and placed senior Seita Kawamoto (Ebina, Kanagaua, Japan) up top at forward. The move paid off when Kawamoto received the ball near the top of the box in the 88th minute. He then beat the last Lord defender and scored on a left-footed shot inside the near post to give the Pioneers the victory. The goal was Kawamoto's first of the year.

Kenyon out-shot Marietta 13-10 overall and held a 5-4 advantage in shots on goal. McDonald accounted for six of the Pioneers' 10 shots.

Hagenau finished with four saves in the win, which improved his record to 4-0. White had a pair of saves in the loss for Kenyon.

Marietta is back in action on Saturday (Sept. 20) afternoon when St. Vincent (Pa.) College visits Marietta Field for a men and women's non-conference doubleheader. The women will start the action at 1 p.m., while the men will follow at 3 p.m.