The men’s soccer team evened its River States Conference (RSC) record after its first conference victory on its home field. The men found the net four separate times to top Ohio Christian University (OCU) last Thursday.

An OCU defender stood in the right place at the right time for the Pioneers to strike early. Senior midfielder Ricardo Dip went for a free kick, and the ball made its way to the back of the net as it deflected off the opposing team’s player.

Freshman midfielder Ndayisenga Emmanuel escaped the Trailblazer defense to find the front of the net and scored a second goal in the 27th minute to extend the Pioneer’s lead. The Pioneers were awarded a penalty kick just over three minutes later, and sophomore midfielder Geert Bijl buried another goal to send OCU to the locker room trailing by three.

The Trailblazers did not appear on the scoreboard until early in the second half, but the Pioneers evened the half out in the 85th minute with a goal from sophomore midfielder Ibrokhim
Mirzakhanov.

Point Park boasted 18 shots with half on goal compared to its opponent’s 11 shots with five on goal. The Pioneers’ Bijl recorded the team-high six shots with four on goal.

OCU posted three more shots on goal in the second half, but it  was too late for a comeback. Senior goalkeeper Ryan Daniels finished the match with four saves to allow the Pioneers to even their RSC record, 2-2-1, 6-4-1 overall.

Point Park will play city rival Carlow University this Thursday at Highmark Stadium. Following Thursday’s game, the Pioneers will have three more home matches during the regular season.