Clinched with a hat trick by third-year forward Michael Dolton, the Oberlin College men’s soccer team claimed a 3–2 victory over Capital University last Wednesday evening at Fred Shults Field. The non-conference win pushed the Yeomen to 3–7–1 on the season and provided a much-needed momentum boost heading into their weekend match against John Carroll, where they suffered a 1–0 loss. The Yeomen’s current record is 4–8–1 after fourth-year Louis Gandelheid scored the game-winner in a 1–0 victory over conference rival Kenyon College on Wednesday.
“The Capital game gave us confidence heading into John Carroll. It was a tough result, but we showed resilience and played well as a group against a strong side,” Dolton wrote in an email to the Review. “We’re focused on refining the details and turning that effort into results.”
The game was a relatively even match until the last few minutes, with each team taking 11 shots in a game that eventually tipped in Oberlin’s favor thanks to Dolton’s late-game performance.
Earlier, less than three minutes into the match, Dolton linked up with first-year Orlando Popkin for the opener. Popkin fed Dolton at the top of the box, who put the ball into the top right corner to give Oberlin a 1–0 lead.
“Scoring early is always a big confidence boost,” Dolton wrote. “After that, it’s about staying composed and playing the same way — just letting that energy and confidence boost your game.”
Capital responded quickly, with Wassim Metatla working through the Yeomen defense in the 17th minute and finding Christian Monzalvo, who slotted the ball into the bottom left corner past second-year goalkeeper Lukas Verling. The Comets kept the pressure on and took the lead in the 32nd minute when Carter Musgrove also scored.
Down 2–1 at the break, the Yeomen regrouped.
“At halftime, we challenged ourselves to raise the level,” Dolton wrote. “We knew we had more to give, and came out determined to show it. Going into the second half, we picked up our tempo, trusted the process, and [ended up getting] the result we wanted. … After the break, we approached the game with maturity and composure. We knew that if we played at our pace and kept pressing forward, the goals would come. We played with controlled intensity and patience, and it paid off.”
Oberlin started to come back less than five minutes into the second half. Dolton gained possession near the edge of the box, beat a defender, and finished low into the left corner to bring the Yeomen level at 2–2.
From that point forward, Oberlin controlled large stretches of play, with Gandelheid and second-year Walter Gomez-Torres testing the Capital keeper. Dolton’s breakthrough came in the last 90 seconds of the match.
After a Capital throw-in, Oberlin regained possession and pushed forward. Gandelheid spotted Dolton making a run behind the back line and made the pass. Dolton buried the ball into the bottom right corner, completing his first collegiate hat trick and sealing the 3–2 win.
“As the ball came across to Louis, I noticed their center back step up to defend, opening up space,” Dolton recalled. “From there, it was just about picking the corner and finishing the job.”
Dolton credited the entire squad for the comeback, noting his teams chemistry and resilience.
“It was really a team effort that made the win possible,” he wrote.
