Pioneers edge rival Muskingum for first OAC victory of the season
Recchia has fourth multi-goal game of the season

Oct. 12, 2005
MARIETTA, Ohio - The Marietta College men's soccer team proved to itself Wednesday (Oct. 12) that it can play at a high level for 90 minutes and beat a solid Ohio Athletic Conference opponent. The victim was league rival Muskingum, who fell 3-1 at the hands of the Pioneers.

With the win, Marietta improved its overall record to 6-6 and advanced to 1-3 in the OAC, while Muskingum fell to 7-6-1 overall and tied with the Pioneers at 1-3 in league play.

The Pioneers set the tone early against the Fighting Muskies, who knocked off then No. 12 Wheaton (IL) last week.

Freshman standout Carlos Recchia (Brazil) broke a scoreless tie in the fourth minute when he took a Drew Craig (Slippery Rock, PA) pass from across the field and drilled it past the Muskingum keeper. The goal was Recchia's tenth of the year, making him the first Pioneer to score double-digit goals since Gavin Reed had 14 in 2000.

Muskingum fought back to tie the game in the 53rd minute when Steve Kreiner scored on a penalty kick. The goal, his fifth of the season, came as a result of a Marietta handball in the box.

The Pioneers waited just six minutes to regain the lead. Sophomore Joel Nau (Marietta) made the extra pass and found junior Mike Zourdos (Potomac, MD/The Bullis School) open just in front of the goal. Zourdos found the open net for his third goal of the fall and gave MC a 2-1 lead that it did not relinquish.

Recchia added an insurance goal with 6:26 to play and Marietta went on to a 3-1 victory, snapping a three game losing streak.

Defensively, Marietta's Steven Hagenau (Clearwater, FL/Central Catholic) faced 23 shots and made a career-high 16 saves in goal to earn the victory.

The Pioneers will look to make it two in a row when they travel to University Heights Saturday (Oct. 15). Marietta is slated to take on John Carroll in a men and women's doubleheader. The women lead things off at 1 p.m. and the men battle in the nightcap at 3 p.m.