Scots Soccer Bags Four Goals in Second Half to Beat Panthers

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (09/04/2024) — The Monmouth College men's soccer team scored four unanswered goals in the second half to win at Greenville University on Tuesday night. The Scots (1-1) had four different goal scorers as they knocked off a Panthers team that represented the SLIAC in last year's NCAA Tournament.

The game was scoreless early before the Panthers took the lead on a deflection in front of the Monmouth goal with a Scots defender getting the last touch for an own goal. The Panthers had the chance to double the lead but hit the post and they took a 1-0 lead into halftime.

Monmouth came out aggressive in the second half and turned the game around in a 3-minute stretch. Owen Murray (Cedar City, Utah) took the ball down the left sideline and crossed it into the box. The ball bounced around and came out to Mathew Hipolito (Pplainfield, Illinois). Hipolito's' shot bounced over the shoulder of a diving keeper to tie the game. Less than three minutes later, Hipolito started a counter attack with a beautiful through ball from midfield. Murray ran onto the pass and fired the Scots to a 2-1 lead.

The game stayed 2-1 for nearly a half hour. Monmouth won a free kick in their own defensive half and keeper Alejandro Zamarripa (El Paso, Texas) launched the ball about 50 yards into the box. The ball bounced off the head of a leaping Panthers defender and into their own goal to give Monmouth a 3-1 lead.

Kristofer Ruiz-Camarena (El Paso, Texas) finished off the Panthers in the 83rd minute. Collecting the ball on the right side of the box, he weaved through defenders to the left slide and blasted the ball into the top of the net for a 4-1 lead.

Luis Villa (El Paso, Texas) and Zamarripa split time in goal for the second straight game. Villa made two saves in the first half and Zamarripa made one save in the second half.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: The Scots played 20 players overall, using nine subs ... Only Treyton Yi (Streamwood, Illinois) played all 90 minutes as he also did in the opener on Sunday ...Murray and Hipolito both scored last season as freshmen ...Ruiz-Camarena had two goals on Sunday, six last season and now has nine in his career ... He also scored in the 3-1 win against Greenville last season ...Murray had three shots, all on goal, Ruiz-Camarena had four shots, two on goal ... The Panthers led the Scots in shot 15-13 but shots on goal favored Monmouth 6-3 ... Monmouth is 2-2 all-time against Greenville with wins in the last two seasons ... The Scots head to Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana this weekend for two neutral=site games ... Monmouth faces Bluffton at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and Alma College at Noon on Sunday ... The Monmouth home opener is Thursday, Sept. 12 against UW-Stevens Point.