LIMA, Ohio – Vanguard tussled with No. 25 Northwestern Ohio in a men's soccer nonconference showdown, with the Lions securing a scoreless draw to complete play at the UNOH College Soccer Showcase on Saturday.
The Lions have posted ties in all three of their contests this season and departed the midwest with a 0-0-3 record. The Racers moved to 0-1-1.
The Racers outshot the Lions 16-6, while Vanguard led 18-12 in the fouls department. Both teams had four corner kicks.
Sophomore goalkeeper Edwin Monterrosa corralled six saves, including three in the final 10 minutes to keep the Racers off the board. It was his first shutout of the season.
Austin Tubbs had two of VU's six shots, with the others coming from Nathaniel Gomez, Stewart Alvayero, Robert Ronco and Sidney Dina.
Tomas Echevarria and Austin Miller led UNOH with four shots apiece. Georgios Theodoulides made one save.
Seven yellow cards were issued during the match, including five to the Lions.
What Happened?
The Lions were outshot 6-1 in the first half, with the lone attempt coming from Ronco in the 10th minute. Monterrosa made stops on Echevarria and Andrea Monticelli.
In the second half, increased activity flowed through both teams as UNOH held a 10-5 shots advantage. Gomez had his shot blocked in the 47th minute, and Alvayero forced Theodoulides into his only stop with a 57th minute attempt.
Tubbs had successive shots miss their mark in the 71st minute, and the Racers blocked Dina's strike a minute later.
The Lions did not threaten the remainder of the match, but Monterrosa was busy especially down the stretch. He stopped Echevarria in the 81st minute, and then smothered a header attempt by Echevarria in the 85th. Miller attempted another header just over two minutes to play, but Monterrosa again was up to the task.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions competed at a high level against two of the better teams in the country in Cumberlands (Ky.) and UNOH, allowing just one goal over 180 minutes.
What Was Said?: "We came on the road and played well against two very good programs," said Head Coach Jesus Miramontes. "We knew it wasn't going to be easy. Although we came away with two ties, I'm super happy with our performance. We showed we can play with the best teams in the nation."
What's Next?: The Lions return home next Friday, September 1 against Whittier at 4:00 p.m.
