By: Colton Steiner
BLUFFTON, Ohio - It was a perfect day for soccer at the Sears Complex on Wednesday, Oct. 8, as the Bluffton Beavers hosted Earlham College in their first home conference match of the 2025 campaign. The Beavers made a statement with an offensive explosion that was too much to handle, scoring three goals in both halves. While the Quakers had some offense of their own and had some great chances late in the contest, Bluffton came away with an exciting 6-4 victory, improving to 4-6-1 on the season and 2-1 in the HCAC. The Quakers showed heart, but the loss dropped them to 2-7-1 overall and 1-2 in the conference.
The Beavers would get out early, after Jaden Ngufor (London, Ont. Canada/FC London) set up Leonardo Campos (Santiago, Chile/Campbellsville University) for the first goal of the day just over six minutes into the contest. After a short lull in scoring, Campos would record an assist after finding Devin Homan (Dayton/Stebbins) in the box to put the Beavers up 2-0 in the 33rd minute. Only seconds later, Bluffton keeper Zach Johnson (Middletown) would fire a free kick and get a favorable bounce that found the back of the Quaker net, putting the Beavers up 3-0.
Earlham got on the board with a score in the 39th minute which cut the Bluffton lead to 3-1 going into the break. Just five minutes into the second half, Earlham snuck a goal into the Beaver net to cut the deficit to 3-2. With just a one-goal lead in minute 53, Alex Brown (Delaware/Buckeye Valley) attacked the box and fired a strike past the Quaker goalie into the top left corner of the net, upping Bluffton's lead to 4-2.
Trailing by two, the visitors answered back two minutes after Alex Brown's goal, but the Beavers would get that point back when Roman Whorton (Brookville) recorded his first tally of the season in the 67th minute off an Alex Brown assist to put Beavers up 5-2. Nick Meyer (Lewisburg/Tri-County North) tacked on a crucial insurance goal in the 82nd minute before Earlham responded in the 87th minute, but that was a wrap as Bluffton would come out on top with a final score of 6-4.
In the electric contest, 53 total shots were fired, with Bluffton having a 28-25 edge with a whopping 22-11 advantage in shots on frame. Seniors Leonardo Campos and Alex Brown both recorded a goal and an assist, with Brown having all four of his shots be on frame. Jaden Ngufor placed four of his five shots on frame, while also recording an assist. Also netting goals for the Beavers were Devin Homan, Nick Meyer and Roman Whorton. In a game to remember, Zach Johnson would record his first career goal to go along with five saves in the box. Mathias Garcia (Fort Wayne, Ind./New Haven) rounded out the action with an assist.
Bluffton will kick back into action on Saturday, Oct. 11, when the Beavers host Hanover College in a women's/men's soccer double-header, with the women set to start at 1 p.m. The men will follow with an estimated start time of 3:30 p.m. Come out and support your Beavers!
-BEAVERS-