Rockhurst men's soccer erupted for four second-half goals to pull away from Missouri S&T, 5-2, Wednesday (Sept. 16).
The Hawks, who entered the match at 2-3-1 overall and 1-1-1 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play, improved to 3-3-1 overall and 2-1-1 in the GLVC with the road victory over a Missouri S&T team that had been ranked nationally previously this season.
Rockhurst opened the scoring just before halftime when a Connor Gaarder header found the back of the net in the 44th minute off an assist from Troy Lor. The Hawks carried a 1-0 advantage into the break despite Missouri S&T holding a 10-7 edge in shots during the opening half.
The Miners quickly responded after halftime, scoring twice in the opening 16 minutes of the second half to take a 2-1 lead.Â
Tommaso Silanos leveled the match in the 64th minute, scoring his second goal of the season. Seven minutes later, Riley McGill put the Hawks back in front, finishing a chance assisted by Gavin Hudnall to give Rockhurst a 3-2 advantage.
The Hawks continued to apply pressure, earning seven second-half corner kicks and finishing the night with an 11-2 advantage in corners.
Silanos struck again in the 80th minute, finding the net for his second goal of the night after another assist from Lor. Blake Barrick capped the scoring in the 88th minute, giving Rockhurst its fifth goal of the night.
The five goals marked a season high for Rockhurst, with five different Hawks finding the scoresheet. Silanos led the way with two goals, while Gaarder, McGill and Barrick each added one. Lor contributed two assists, while Hudnall and Laws added one.
Junior Samuele Neri and the Rockhurst defense held Missouri S&T scoreless over the final 30 minutes, while the Hawks' five second-half goals turned a 2-1 deficit into a three-goal road victory.
Rockhurst returns home Saturday (Sept. 19) for the Battle of the Hawks against Quincy at Bourke Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
