Junior Jeff Diebel (Ft. Wayne, IN/Homestead) and freshman Gary Simkus (Highland, IN/Highland) each tallied two goals to help the Wabash College soccer team to its first win of the season with a 6-0 victory over Hanover College at Mud Hollow Field on Saturday afternoon.
Diebel got the game-winner in the fourth minute of the match, making a run from just outside the box, weaved his way through the Hanover defense before planting his shot in the back of the net. Simkus added his first goal of the match two minutes later, slamming a header into the goal off of a pass from senior co-captain Colin Smith (Zionsville, IN/Zionsville).
Senior Morgan Patchell (Kalamazoo, MI/Loy Norrix) made it a 3-0 contest in the 16th minute, taking a pass from Diebel on the right side of the field to convert the shot into another Wabash goal. Diebel scored his team-leading fourth goal of the season at the 22-minute mark. He fired a shot in between two defenders and past the Panthers' goalie to tally his second goal of the match.
Freshman Chris Serak (Avon, IN/Avon) scored his first goal of the season to open the second half. The rookie midfielder gathered a loose ball in front of the Hanover net and blasted it home to put Wabash up 5-0.
Simkus picked up his third goal of the year at the 70th-minute mark with a shot from 18 yards out that found the upper-left corner of the goal.
Will McAdams (JR/Carmel, IN/Carmel) made four saves in 63 minutes of work at goalkeeper. Ben Edquist (LaPorte, IN/LaPorte) combined with McAdams for the shutout.
Wabash outshot Hanover 26-5 in the match. The Little Giants had 15 shots on goal to only four for the Panthers.
The Little Giants (1-4-1) are off until Saturday, Septemberg 25 when they begin North Coast Athletic Conference play. Wabash plays host to Hiram College in a 1 p.m. match at Mud Hollow Field.