GALION — The Galion boys soccer team tightened its grip on second place in the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference with a 2-1 victory over Highland on Monday evening.
“We got a couple guys back that we have been missing. We have been working on that (defense) specifically when those guys were out. It’s been a main focus and it showed up,” Galion head coach Eric Palmer said.
Caleb Hunter got the Scots on the board first at the 34:43 mark, just shortly into the game. Hunter found some space and netted a shot from distance to give his side a 1-0 lead.
Tanner Keinath got loose and beat the Scots goalkeeper through the left side of the goal to tie the game for the Tigers at the 24:46 mark.
Galion was able to put up a total of seven shots in the first half, compared to five for Highland.
Walker Frankhouse found Kennan Walker for what turned out to be the winning goal with just 4:59 left in the match. Galion’s bench was ecstatic after they finally capitalized on the opportunity.
“We’re getting chance after chance and we knew it would eventually find the back of the net,” said Palmer.
The second half featured dominant ball control by Galion. The Tigers got off three shots. The Scots also had three shots of their own.
Highland was good defensively and nothing came easy for Galion.
“Strength is up the middle and we have some guys that really get after it. It is fun to be a part of,” said Highland head coach John Sachleben.
Dakota Pigg took care of goalkeeping duties for Galion and played very well with seven saves.
With the win, Galion improves to 6-3-1 on the season and 4-1 in Mid Ohio Athletic Conference play behind Ontario.
“We have one more MOAC game. We have to be sharp and fix some things going into that game (on Tuesday, Oct. 12 against River Valley),” said Palmer.
Highland falls to 3-8 overall and 1-3 in the MOAC.
“We were under-manned and had a few starters out. It’s tough,” said Sachleben. “Everyone faces the same stuff, though. The kids gave everything they had. That’s what we do.”
Galion picked up another win on Wednesday, defeating Mansfield St. Peter’s in a non-conference match, 4-1. The Tigers upped their record to 7-3-1 with that victory.
Upcoming schedule
The Tigers travel to Upper Sandusky on Saturday. The next home match for Galion is Monday, Oct. 4 against Loudonville. The Tigers defeated the Redbirds 7-1 in the season opener on Aug. 21.
Highland plays at River Valley on Thursday and travels to Mansfield St. Peter’s on Saturday. The next home match for the Scots is Tuesday, Oct. 5 against River Valley.
