The matchup
Mount Union performs host to Defiance within the season opener for each groups. It’s the first faculty soccer sport in recently-christened Kehres Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
Tickets and on the air
Mount Union has partnered with HomeTown Ticketing. Gameday gross sales can be accessible utilizing the HomeTown app, buying tickets upfront is inspired. All tickets are $10. Mount Union college students get in without cost with their Purple Plus card. The sport can be broadcast on WDPN-AM (1310) and WRMU-FM (91.1).
The coaches
Geoff Dartt is 17-1 in his third season at Mount Union. Invoice Nickell is teaching his first sport at Defiance. He wasn’t formally named the coach till mid-June. The Yellow Jackets have had three head coaches within the final 10 months.
The historical past
Regardless of being positioned simply 208 miles aside that is solely the sixth all-time assembly. Mount Union has gained all 5 of the earlier video games; the final assembly was a 58-0 Purple Raider win at dwelling. Mount Union has a 359-15 file since 1996; Defiance has had 5 profitable seasons since 1998.
About Mount Union
The Purple Raiders are coming off one other splendid season through which they gained the college’s fifth straight — and twenty sixth of the final 27 — Ohio Athletic Convention championships and made the Division III playoffs for the twenty ninth consecutive season. As soon as once more, they’re loaded with skilled expertise on either side of the ball. Quarterback Braxton Plunk, huge receivers Wayne Ruby Jr. and Jaden Manley, operating again DeAndre Parker, guard Carson Barrett, sort out Ben Lilly and the tight finish tandem of Evan Weygandt and Chase Lawson are anticipated to place factors on the board rapidly and sometimes. Linebacker Mason McMillen, down linemen Eli Beers, Duke Hill and Matt Lilja and secondary standouts Josh Jones, Jesse Vail, Derick Bradley will make it tough for the Yellow Jackets to attain.
About Defiance
It has been a tough decade for the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Convention program with one non-losing season (2016) and an total file of 22-75. Because of this, Nickell, a former assistant at Kent State, turned the college’s fifth head coach within the final seven years after only one season as an assistant. He additionally has made teaching stops at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Lock Haven and Urbana. He has began a youth motion as solely 9 seniors — and simply as many freshmen and 3 times as many sophomores and juniors — are listed on the 44-player two-deep chart. One of many seniors is quarterback Jordan Ambrose, who accomplished 55 of 120 passes for 403 yards and three touchdowns in 2021. Sophomore operating again Tyshawn Freeman rushed for 528 yards on 114 carries. Senior linebacker Thomas Coltrain led the Yellow Jackets with 96 tackles final season whereas junior finish Richard Pope and senior nostril sort out Rigo Villa mixed to make 84 tackles.
What to observe for
Get there early as this might be determined earlier than the marching band exits the sphere. Mount Union has 212 gamers in this system. Dartt would use each one among them if it had been allowed. As famous, the faculties are 208 miles aside. The packages? Gentle years.
Up subsequent
The Raiders could have a bye week and won’t play once more till Marietta involves Alliance on Sept. 17.
