Racers Explode for Eight Behind Echevarria Hat Trick

LIMA, OH - With the regular season wrapping up, conference standings were on the line Wednesday, October 25, as UNOH tries to climb the table before the postseason begins. The Racers were dominate front-to-back, scoring four in the first and four in the second for an 8-0 win over the Cardinals. It's the program's highest offensive output since October 4, 2017, when they blanked UM-Dearborn 9-0.

Concordia packed in defensively to start the match shutting down the Racer attack for the first 20 minutes. After a Cardinal defender got injured without a subsitution, UNOH took advantage of the extra man and immediately broke through. Jovaunn Ramos sent a long ball to Tomas Echevarria who tracked it down in open space. One touch was all he needed to side step the keeper and put the ball in the back of the net in the 22nd minute. It took 17 more minutes for the Racers to find another chance and it came off a deep turnover. This time, Echevarria did the work himself, taking the ball of the foot of a defender and cracking it past the keeper. Just over two minutes later, Echevarria dribbled the ball down the endline and found Moritz Guettel in the middle of the box who poked it into the goal. Roughly a minute before halftime, another turnover deep in Concordia's defensive third set up Jovaunn Ramos inside the 18. Ramos took the ball towards the endline and hooked a low cross around a defensive back into the middle. The goal was open and Michele Forapan was there to flick the ball in for his first goal of the season and a 4-0 lead at the half.

It took about 15 minutes of second half play to get the Racers revved again but once they did the goals began pouring out once more. High pressure by UNOH forced another deep turnover in the 59th minute with Corey Brouard taking the ball away from a Cardinal defender and beating the keeper one-on-one. Relentless attack from the Racers continued to create chances and once more, they converted a turnover into a goal. The high defensive pressure allowed Moritz Guettel to tackle the ball away just outside the 18 box and finish bottom corner. The game had seemingly just started back up when Tomas Echevarria completed his second career hat trick beating defenders with speed and keeping the ball low under the keeper. The 7-0 score held for 20 minutes before a foul in the attacking third set up a dangerous free kick opportunity. Diego Cerezo took on the goal from 20 yards out and dropped a dagger over the keeper for the final 8-0 score.

UNOH finished with a season high 35 total shots in the game putting 22 on target, the second most in program history. The Racers allowed just five and one for the Cardinals.

Ross Synnott (3-3-1) made one impressive save right before halftime to keep the clean sheet and pick up the win but it was the only time he was needed over his 90 minutes of work.

With the win, UNOH clinches a place in the conference tournament that begins next Saturday, November 4. The Racers currently sit tied with Lawrence Tech and Lourdes in the current standings with 17 points each. UNOH will conclude the regular season this Saturday, October 28, against Rochester with a chance to finish as high as fourth but no lower than sixth.