The 2006 Wabash Homecoming got Saturday’s activities started on the right foot --- or maybe it was the left foot.
Junior Gary Simkus pounded a left-footed shot into the back of the net in the 58th minute to give the Little Giants a 2-1 lead Saturday morning over Hiram. Sophomore George Padgitt added a final header in the 63rd minute to give Wabash a 3-1 victory over the Terriers. (View photos of Wabash's victory over Hiram.)
Wabash dominated the match from the opening whistle. The Little Giants took the opening play a drove through the Hiram defense, getting an early corner kick when the Terriers dumped the ball over the goal line. Just over three minutes into the match Padgitt nearly put the Little Giants on top when his first attempt hit the post and careened back into play. Padgitt fired another shot just nine minutes later that sailed wide, setting an aggressive tone for the match.
Despite the heavy offensive pressure applied by the Little Giants, the team would remain tied at 0-0 with Hiram over the first 45 minutes of play.
It seemed the tough breaks that have followed the Little Giants all season long would continue to go against Wabash once again. Four minutes into the final period, the Terriers broke through for a goal when David Krems took a pass from David Mason to put Hiram ahead 1-0.
Three minutes later Simkus would tie the match, drilling his seventh goal of the season. Less than two minutes later Chris Serak served a corner kick in front of the net that Jon Funston sent just over the goal to continue applying offensive pressure toward the Hiram defense. Three minutes later that pressure paid off again.
Greg Ridenour, back on the pitch after missing much of the season with a leg injury, fired a ball toward Simkus. It was deflected away, but toward Serak. The junior found Simkus in front of the net, putting the ball in a perfect spot for a left-footed kick and the second goal of the match.
The Terriers tried to respond, but goalkeeper Jon Miller turned aside a shot attempt by Hiram. It was one of five saves on the day for the junior keeper.
Wabash took the ball in transition off Miller’s stop. Padgitt found a ball in front of the net and then found the back of the net with a header drilled past the Hiram defense, scoring for the sixth time this season. The goal extended his scoring streak to four straight matches.
The victory was not only a great way to celebrate Homecoming, it also snapped a home losing streak that had gone to nearly two years. Wabash last celebrated a win at Mud Hollow Field with its 3-1 victory over Kenyon on October 30, 2004. It also snapped a six-game streak without a victory, and gave the Little Giants a win in North Coast Athletic Conference play. Wabash is 2-8-1 overall, but sports a mark of 1-1-1 in league play.
"Our first home win in two years feels good," Simkus said. "We never really lost faith in ourselves. We’ve had opportunities, but sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce right. Today it felt good."
Head coach Roberto Giannini echoed the words of his All-NCAC forward.
"It’s a turn-around for these guys to now believe in themselves," Giannini said. "The losses that we’ve had are in part that we’re young and naïve. Today we showed the type of soccer we can play. If we play like this we can beat anybody. So I hope the boys realize that, because this is a conference game and we can build on that."
Wabash will hope to do just that this Wednesday when Earlham travels to Crawfordsville for a 4 p.m. match against the Little Giants.