The John Carroll University Men’s Soccer team remains undefeated in their 2023 season following an outstanding win against The College of Wooster on Sat., Sept. 9.
After being on the road for their last two matches against Kenyon College and Carnegie Mellon, the Blue Streaks returned home to Don Shula Stadium. The Blue and Gold rallied on the offensive side of things, securing a 4-1 victory against the Fighting Scots, advancing their winning streak record to 4-0.
It was a slow start for both teams at the beginning of the first half. It wasn’t until the 26-minute mark when the game dynamic changed r. The Fighting Scots snagged the first goal of the game, forcing the Blue Streaks to find some momentum.
Wooster held a 1-0 lead for the majority of the first half. As time was counting down during the initial 45 minutes, John Carroll looked to transform the match in their favor. With just three minutes left, Nicholas Graeca ‘25 found an opening gap on the field to feed Luka Pranjeta ‘27 the ball. Pranjeta responded and executed a clean shot to the back of the net. The freshman tied up the game for the Streaks, exciting the first half 1-1.
The goal also marks Pranjeta’s first collegiate goal as a Blue Streak. Pranjeta’s presence is something that John Carroll will utilize as the seasons progresses.
As the second half began, the Blue and Gold found a rhythm that was unstoppable. Three minutes into a fresh half, Izac Colman ‘24 sent a beautiful corner kick to the head of Steven Samuelson ‘25, who redirected the ball to give John Carroll their second goal of the game, taking the lead 2-1.
The Blue Streak offense put their foot on the gas for the rest of the match. In the next two minutes after Samuelson’s goal, John Carroll was quick to keep their offense on high alert. It would be Graeca who would slot a penalty kick and score the third goal of the game. At the 50-minute mark, the Blue Streaks l found themselves leading 3-1.
Wooster’s attempt to put themselves back in the game was quickly shut down by the Streaks in the second half.
In the 64th minute, Hayden Haffner ‘24 added to the dominant offense as he forced yet another goal for the Blue Streaks. Toward the end of the match, John Carroll held a 4-1 lead over the Fighting Scots.
“We weren’t happy giving up the first goal, but ending the game scoring four goals was massive for us,” said Coleman. “I’d say what turned the tide for us was Luka’s goal; it gave us much-needed motivation before halftime…We came out in the second half and played our game and made sure to put the game away quickly.
“This is the best start I’ve had in my JCU career and I think we’re nowhere near slowing down I think our program is hungry for trophies and we know we have a long way to go, but the undefeated start is definitely important for us.”
Putting the game away is exactly what John Carroll needed to secure the win of their fourth game of the season. The 4-1 victory over Wooster boosted JCU’s record to 4-0, allowing the team to have an outstanding undefeated start.
The momentum does not stop for the Streaks as they remain home at the Don Shula Stadium to face Case Western Reserve University, also coming in with a 4-0 record, this Wed., Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m. After that, the Blue Streaks head to Ohio Wesleyan for a high-stakes matchup on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 7:30 p.m.