The Bluffton University men's soccer team continued its outstanding start to the season with a convincing 3-0 shutout of Thiel College on a sunny Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. It marks the first 3-1 start since 1989 and only the third time in school history that the men have opened with a 3-1 mark.

The Beavers also etched their name in the record books as the first squad to take a spotless home mark into Heartland Conference play.

Junior Maxwell Kennedy (Strongsville) found Dalton Taynor (Troy/Miami East) and his head did the rest as the sensational senior put Bluffton up 1-0 in minute seven with his team-leading 6th goal of the season. The slim one-goal advantage held up through the first 45 minutes as the home team led 1-0 at the break.

With Taynor and Jacob Kiger (Groveport/St. Charles Prep) taking advantage of a well-deserved respite to start the second half, the young guns fired one in when Andrew Ireland (Coshocton) dished it off to fellow freshman JJ Meyer (Cincinnati/Oak Hills) for a 2-0 spread less than eight minutes into the final stanza. A Thiel handball in the box led to a Kennedy penalty kick that capped the scoring with Bluffton netting its third home victory of the season.

Bluffton pounded the Tomcats with 20 shots, compared to just three for the visitors. The on-target spread was 9-1 in favor of the Beavers. Thiel was whistled for six more fouls (18-12), while Bluffton forced eight more corner kicks (9-1). 

Kennedy paced the Beavers with five shots on Saturday. Freshman Angel Velasco-Urbina helped the Beavers post their second shutout of the week!

Bluffton travels to the College of Wooster on Tuesday, Sept. 21 for a 5 p.m. kickoff with the Fighting Scots.