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SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - In a highly anticipated regional matchup with a pair of 6-0-0 combatants, a Shane Price (Minford, Ohio/Minford) goal 63 seconds into action set the tone as the Tigers rolled to a 4-0 win. Price's opener would only be the first taste of the night, as the senior striker would tally twice more to complete the second hat trick by a Tiger this year.
Matt Borland (Kettering, Ohio/Alter) broke down the right wing early in the contest, firing a cross to wide-open Price, who saw his first shot saved, but finished a rebound from eleven yards to open the scoring book. Twenty minutes later, Price would benefit from strong hustle by senior midfielder Jimmy Thinnes (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle), who won the ball in the Polar Bear back third, then sent a ball into the box that Price deftly redirected.
The Tigers would tally one more before intermission, when Ryan Ruef (Plain City, Ohio/Jonathan Alder) punched in a rebound inside the six-yard box to push the home-standing Tigers to a 3-0 advantage.
Price would finish off his hat trick with a great individual effort to deflect a ball away from the Polar Bears defense in the at the top of the box, beyond a stranded goalkeeper in the 55th minute. From there, the Tiger defense held the Polar Bears out of the net to pick up their second shutout of the season.
The win continues to stretch a school-best start to 7-0-0, as Wittenberg enjoyed their first contest as a nationally ranked competitor, weighing in at 25th in the country according to the NSCAA. Their next opponent is NAIA Cedarville this Saturday, Sept. 20, when the Yellow Jackets and Tigers meet for a 7 p.m. contest.
Written By: Ben Bradley, SID Assistant