ANGOLA, Ind. – Junior Tyler Murphy posted a career day as the Trine University men's soccer team dispatched visiting Olivet College 6-1 in the opening round of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Men's Soccer Tournament.
Murphy recorded four goals in the contest his career high. The tally is a tournament record for a single game and moves him into a tie for most goals in a tournament after just the first game. It also ties the program record for most goals in a game.
The team's total is also a record setting tally. The Thunder now own tournament records for assists and points in a single match. The six goals are the second most in tournament history.
The goals started early for the team. In just the fourth minute of play freshman Liam Zimmerman played a great cross into the goal area from outside of the 18-yard box. Junior Joey Donovan was in position to get under the ball and head it softly over the keeper for the goal.
Donovan paid it forward on the team's next goal, which came in the 26th minute. He would pass the ball from well outside the penalty area on the far side of the field. Murphy was waiting for the pass and cashed in for his first goal of the day.
The sixth-seeded comets shocked the home side in the 35th minute forcing a turnover in their offensive end and converting a breakaway goal to cut the lead back to one at 2-1. That score would hold in to intermission.
Murphy's next three goals came during a truly impressive two minutes of gameplay. The first came at the 57:47 mark of the contest. Zimmerman recorded his second assist of the day, once again off of a cross from the side of the penalty area.
Exactly 18 seconds later, Murphy carried the ball into the 18-yard box before passing it to his right where Donovan was just ahead of him. Murphy sprinted forward toward the goal and received the ball back before firing it into the back of the net.
Then at the 59:23 mark, just 1:36 after his second goal of the match, Murphy finished off his scoring for the day. This time a pair of quick passes led to the goal. Freshman Ryan Cote passed it from just to the side of the penalty area into the box where sophomore Luke Kearns was able to settle it and pass it into the 6-yard box. There Murphy was ready to beat the keeper.
Up 5-1 in the game, the Thunder slowed their pace and entered many of their reserves. This gave freshman Immanuel Klimeck a chance to record just his second shot of the season. He did so from well outside the 18-yard box, but it didn't matter as the ball still sailed into the top-right corner of the net for the team's final goal of the day.
Trine improves to 9-6-3 overall and advance to the semifinal round of the MIAA Tournament following the postseason victory. They will travel to face Hope College in that next contest, which is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 6 p.m.
