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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Jack Foht tallied five points in the victory. 
Aislyn McQueen
1
Bethany (WV) BET (10-8-1, 5-4-0)
3
Winner John Carroll JCU (13-3-4, 7-0-2)
Bethany (WV) BET
(10-8-1, 5-4-0)
1
Final
3
John Carroll JCU
(13-3-4, 7-0-2)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Bethany (WV) BET 0 1 1
John Carroll JCU 1 2 3

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Anna Meyer, Senior Staff Writer

Freshmen Propel Men's Soccer Past Bethany in First Round of NCAA Tournament

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio -- The Blue and Gold will keep dancing.

After an impressive second-half performance courtesy of the freshman class, John Carroll scored back-to-back goals, securing a 3-1 victory in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament against Bethany College.

"It feels good," said John Carroll's Head Coach Dejan Mladenovic '06 after his first NCAA Tournament victory as a head coach. "Anytime you can get a win in the NCAA Tournament it is special. For my first, I appreciate the guys and their work today, but like I said, it is all about them, not about me. I am happy to get that first win." 

The star in the victory for the Blue and Gold was freshman Jack Foht, who finished the contest with five points after coming off the bench in the first half. 

Foht checked into the game and provided an immediate spark for the Blue & Gold. In the 29th minute, Foht recorded his seventh goal of the season, lifting John Carroll to a 1-0 lead. The score would remain the same for the rest of the half, but Foht's strong performance was nowhere near finished. 

"My mindset throughout the season is to give everything I got whenever I am on the field," said Foht after a 5-point performance against Bethany. "It is always important to give as much effort as I can on the field and that is what I am trying to do." 

In the first half, John Carroll outshot the Bison, 6-3, with Foht's goal being the lone tally in the first half. John Carroll headed into the locker room with a 1-0 advantage over the Bison. 

The second half proved to be a new offensive game for both teams. 

In the 51st minute of Saturday morning's contest, the dynamic freshman duo of James Hoover and Foht struck for the Blue and Gold. Foht crossed a clean pass in front of the net for Hoover to finish the play with a goal giving JCU a 2-0 lead. 

Less than 30 seconds later, Foht struck once again as he continued his dominant performance. Foht recorded his second goal of the game in the 51st minute.

"Giving my all every day in practice and off the field and getting the most out of the time I get on the field has helped me this year," said Foht after the victory. 

After today's game, Foht is the first freshman to have over 15 points in a rookie season since 2018. Michael Burrington notched 15 points as a freshman in 2018. After today, Foht has 18 points, five of which were secured today. 

Connor Robinson kept a clean slate for the Blue and Gold as he recorded three saves in his 76 minutes played. 

In the 77th minute, Connor Gynn checked into his first career NCAA Tournament game. 

Less than a minute after the goalie switch, the Bison recorded their lone goal of the loss. With only two seniors on Bethany's roster, the underclassmen for the Bison had to step up. Freshman Valentin Ursino recorded his third goal of the season, closing John Carroll's lead to two goals. 

With the win, the Blue Streaks secured their spot in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. 

"We have a very quick turnaround," noted Mladenovic. "We aren't used to playing two games in basically under 30 hours. We have managed these two days as best as we can from nutrition, rest, and recovery standpoint. The guys have been on a very strict regiment, and they have been very diligent in making sure that they are doing everything they can to be prepared to play and now that we won to play tomorrow as well. Again, I am very proud of their effort and what they did today." 

John Carroll (13-3-4) will look to continue their NCAA Tournament run as they face a quick turnaround. The Blue Streaks will take the field at Don Shula Stadium tomorrow on Sunday, Nov. 14, at 3:30 p.m. against Johns Hopkins (12-4-2). 
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