Posted: Oct 09, 2022
Ottumwa, IA – No. 19 Indian Hills Men's Soccer avenged an earlier loss to Marshalltown Community College on Sunday with a 2-1 victory at home. The Warriors take over sole possession of second-place in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC).
After a scoreless first half between both sides, the Warriors used a pair of second half goals to hold off the Tigers. Indian Hills, ranked No. 19 in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Men's Soccer Poll, improves to 10-5-0 overall on the year and 4-2-0 in league play. The Warriors sit one game ahead of Marshalltown while No. 1 nationally ranked Iowa Western Community College remains at the top of the standings with a 5-0-0 mark.
The Warriors, who fell at Marshalltown 2-1 in overtime on September 20, used second half goals from freshmen Daniele Verdirosi (Rome, Italy/Araniti) and Gustavo Marques (São Paulo, Brazil/Colegio Anglo Indaiatuba).
As a team, the Warriors outshot the Tigers 11-8 on the day. Freshman keeper Kaz Kromwijk (Schenkeldijk, Netherlands/Stedelijk Dalton Lyceum Kaptynweg) stopped one shot and picked up the win for the Warriors to improve to 6-4-0 on the year.
Both sides failed to find the back of the net in the first half as Indian Hills posted a 5-4 shots advantage through 45 minutes. The Warriors finally broke free in the 73rd minute as Diego Palma (Santiago, Chile/Francisco Vergara Bobadilla) played a ball into the box that found the foot of Verdirosi. The freshman corralled the loose ball and put home the close-range shot for his 15th goal of the season.
Just over five minutes later, Verdirosi worked his way into the box to draw the defense to the ball. The forward managed to slip the ball past the Tiger backline as Marques gathered the ball and buried the shot for the 2-0 lead.
Marshalltown responded just over a minute later after a scramble in the box, but the Warriors held off the late push from the Tigers to earn the conference victory.
Verdirosi is currently tied for the second most goals in the nation with his 15 on the year. With the goal and assist on the day, Veridrosi now leads the ICCAC with 36 total points on the year. The mark also ranks third in the nation.
Marques is now tied for second on the team with nine goals this season. The reigning NJCAA National Player of the Week, Marques has come on strong down the stretch, scoring five goals over the team's last four matches.
Next up for the Warriors is the regular season home finale against No. 1 Iowa Western at 1:00 PM on October 12. The Warriors will also recognize eight of its student-athletes as part of the team's sophomore day celebration.
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