Marshall University Athletics
Saturday, October 30
Huntington, W.Va.
7:00 PM
Marshall University
11-1-3, 5-0-2
4
vs
0
University of South Carolina
5-8-2, 1-4-2
1
2
F
South Carolina
0
0
0
Marshall
1
3
4
The 2021 Senior Class (left to right) Davi Edwards, Vitor Dias, Ryan Sirk, Noah Raphael, Ibrahima Diop, Vinicius Fernandes, Pedro Dolabella, Oliver Semmle, Jan-Erik Leinhos, Nathan Dossantos & Head Coach Chris Grassie
Photo by: Austin O Connor
Seniors Shine as No. 2 Men’s Soccer Takes Down South Carolina
10/30/2021 11:15:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Dolabella scores two goals and has one assist
Game Book (PDF)
Postgame Video: Head Coach Chris Grassie | Pedro Dolabella
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – On a cool and soggy night, the 2nd-ranked Marshall men's soccer team went out with a flurry of goals on Senior Night in a 4-0 victory over South Carolina on Saturday. The Herd honored ten seniors prior to the match, and it was the seniors who led the way on the pitch for the win.
Graduate student Pedro Dolabella scored two goals and had one assist. Senior Ibrahima Diop netted a goal, and senior goalkeeper Oliver Semmle tallied five saves as the Marshall defense earned its ninth clean sheet of the season.
The Thundering Herd improved to 11-1-3 overall and 5-0-2 in Conference USA. The Gamecocks fall to 5-8-2 and 1-4-2 in league action.
"We had a lot of guys getting forward tonight and making good decisions," Herd head coach Chris Grassie said. "Once we got possession of the ball again, it was a very choppy game, but as (South Carolina) began to chase again there was a ton of space opened up and our guys are so deadly. Pedro (Dolabella) reads the game so well. He understands it perfectly. He shows up at the top of the box and just, thank you very much."
Marshall held the advantage in time of possession again at 53-percent to 47-percent, and outshot South Carolina 13-7 despite playing 41 minutes and 27 seconds a man down. Senior Vitor Dias was issued a straight red card in the 12th minute.
However, just like in the Charlotte match, the Herd responded to the challenge and scored the first goal of the contest just 55 seconds after the red card. Redshirt junior Milo Yosef had the ball on the far side of the 18-yard box and found junior Joao Souza who finished with the touch passed the keeper. For Souza it was his first goal of the season and Yosef was not done with the helpers.
The teams continued to battle through a soaked pitch with rain constantly coming down throughout the first half. The action got physical as well as the Gamecocks began to push to try and slow down the Herd and find the equalizer. South Carolina was issued three yellow cards in the first half, all coming in a six-minute span.
The Gamecocks did have the first shot on target in the match coming in the 10th minute, however Semmle was there to make the save. Semmle made another stop in the 42nd minute diving to his right side and just knocking it away before the ball could slide through by the near post. South Carolina received a corner kick after the ball was deflected out by Semmle, but the Marshall defense cleared the ball away before the Gamecocks could attempt a shot.
The first half ended with Marshall in the lead at 1-0.
The Herd came back out after the break still a man down, however just seven minutes and 28 seconds into the second half the numbers on the pitch were evened up as Jordan Matthews was issued his second yellow card and sent off for the remainder of the match. Now with numbers at 10-on-10, the Herd went back on the attack.
In the 64th minute, South Carolina picked up its fifth yellow of the day. Thirty-two seconds later, Yosef fired another centering pass that Dolabella knocked into the net to give Marshall a 2-0 lead. Yosef had been an issue the entire match for the Gamecocks defense with his speed. The Aachen, Germany native set a career-high with his second assist and has a career-best seven helpers this season, good for second on the team. Dolabella was also not done in the scoring category.
Five minutes and three seconds later, now in the 67th minute, it was Dolabella's turn for the assist as he found fellow senior night honoree Diop for the goal. Dolabella and Diop were high school teammates at The Pennington School in New Jersey, and Diop transferred to Marshall over the summer after three years at UConn to reunite with Dolabella. Diop netted his second goal of the season and eighth of his collegiate career. Again, Dolabella was still not finished on this senior night.
In the 71st minute, Marshall almost scored again when senior Jan-Erik Leinhos fired a shot that was saved by the keeper.
After the Herd took the 3-0 lead on Diop's goal, South Carolina turned up the pressure in the attempt to get on the scoreboard. Semmle made two more saves in the 72nd and 75th minutes to chants of "Oli Oli" from the crowd.
Even with the 3-0 lead, the Herd did not let up on the offensive end. In the 77th minute, junior Alex Adjetey went flying down the pitch and sent a pass to Dolabella who broke through the middle yet again for his second goal of the night as Marshall led 4-0. Adjetey earned his third assist of the season. Dolabella picked up his career-best 10th goal.
South Carolina was issued its sixth card of the night less than 30 seconds after Dolabella's second goal. The Gamecocks did not quit and kept on fighting to try and end the shutout. Semmle made his fifth and final save of the match in the 82nd minute. The Au am Rhein, Germany native earned his 19th career clean sheet, trailing only Daniel Withrow's 21.5 for tops all-time in team history.
The Herd sent in several subs toward the end of the match to allow players to come off to a nice ovation from the home crowd.
Dolabella was subbed out in the 84th minute and went out on senior night adding to his already impressive resume and legend at Marshall. The player who was once told he wasn't good enough to play Division I soccer netted five total points in the match and tied his career-high with the two goals.
"I came to America to go to high school and I had no (scholarship) offers," Dolabella said about his journey. "Everyone was telling me to go to Division III. And Chris (Grassie), I thank him for opening doors for me. My first year I came as a walk-on. When I got here my first goal was to just make the away trips, but in the preseason I came in locked in and ready and prepared well. I was able to play a lot my first year and just build confidence.
"Getting to lift Marshall to a National Championship with all of my teammates and all of these wonderful people, it's like a movie you know. Probably the best memory of my life being able to accomplish that. But most importantly for sure is the journey and the people you meet along the way and the memories you make."
Coach Grassie also talked about the impact that Dolabella has had on the program.
"One of my proudest coaching relationships has been with Pedro because he has grown so much," Grassie said about his midfielder. "He's grown from a temperamental young man. He has always had so much talent, but it is the 17-year old Pedro versus the 22-year old Pedro. He has all that maturity. He understands completely how we play. He is an ambassador for the way we play and he's been able to control that emotion and make it work for him instead of against him.
"He is just such an ambassador for the way we play, the way we defend, the way we knock the ball around and that is Marshall soccer. I have had a great relationship with him and will be very sad to see him go."
Dolabella now has 23 goals in his career, good for sixth all-time at Marshall. He is tied for fourth all-time in assists with 16 and jumped over former teammate Jamil Roberts on the all-time points list to sixth with 62. Dolabella currently leads Conference USA in goals, goals per game, points and points per game.
Marshall has already earned a spot in the Conference USA Tournament and it has a chance for the number one seed. The Herd will finish the regular season on Friday, Nov. 5, at No. 17 FIU. The Panthers currently hold the top spot in the C-USA standings with 19 points after earning another win on Saturday. The Herd has 17 points and sits in second. Marshall needs a win at FIU to earn the regular season championship and the top seed in the tournament. The Panthers can stay on top with either a win or a draw. Kickoff from Miami is set for 7 p.m.
For all of the latest information on the Marshall men's soccer team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdMSoccer, Facebook at Marshall University Soccer and on www.herdzone.com.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules, and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS or Android!
Postgame Video: Head Coach Chris Grassie | Pedro Dolabella
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – On a cool and soggy night, the 2nd-ranked Marshall men's soccer team went out with a flurry of goals on Senior Night in a 4-0 victory over South Carolina on Saturday. The Herd honored ten seniors prior to the match, and it was the seniors who led the way on the pitch for the win.
Graduate student Pedro Dolabella scored two goals and had one assist. Senior Ibrahima Diop netted a goal, and senior goalkeeper Oliver Semmle tallied five saves as the Marshall defense earned its ninth clean sheet of the season.
The Thundering Herd improved to 11-1-3 overall and 5-0-2 in Conference USA. The Gamecocks fall to 5-8-2 and 1-4-2 in league action.
"We had a lot of guys getting forward tonight and making good decisions," Herd head coach Chris Grassie said. "Once we got possession of the ball again, it was a very choppy game, but as (South Carolina) began to chase again there was a ton of space opened up and our guys are so deadly. Pedro (Dolabella) reads the game so well. He understands it perfectly. He shows up at the top of the box and just, thank you very much."
Marshall held the advantage in time of possession again at 53-percent to 47-percent, and outshot South Carolina 13-7 despite playing 41 minutes and 27 seconds a man down. Senior Vitor Dias was issued a straight red card in the 12th minute.
However, just like in the Charlotte match, the Herd responded to the challenge and scored the first goal of the contest just 55 seconds after the red card. Redshirt junior Milo Yosef had the ball on the far side of the 18-yard box and found junior Joao Souza who finished with the touch passed the keeper. For Souza it was his first goal of the season and Yosef was not done with the helpers.
The teams continued to battle through a soaked pitch with rain constantly coming down throughout the first half. The action got physical as well as the Gamecocks began to push to try and slow down the Herd and find the equalizer. South Carolina was issued three yellow cards in the first half, all coming in a six-minute span.
The Gamecocks did have the first shot on target in the match coming in the 10th minute, however Semmle was there to make the save. Semmle made another stop in the 42nd minute diving to his right side and just knocking it away before the ball could slide through by the near post. South Carolina received a corner kick after the ball was deflected out by Semmle, but the Marshall defense cleared the ball away before the Gamecocks could attempt a shot.
The first half ended with Marshall in the lead at 1-0.
The Herd came back out after the break still a man down, however just seven minutes and 28 seconds into the second half the numbers on the pitch were evened up as Jordan Matthews was issued his second yellow card and sent off for the remainder of the match. Now with numbers at 10-on-10, the Herd went back on the attack.
In the 64th minute, South Carolina picked up its fifth yellow of the day. Thirty-two seconds later, Yosef fired another centering pass that Dolabella knocked into the net to give Marshall a 2-0 lead. Yosef had been an issue the entire match for the Gamecocks defense with his speed. The Aachen, Germany native set a career-high with his second assist and has a career-best seven helpers this season, good for second on the team. Dolabella was also not done in the scoring category.
Five minutes and three seconds later, now in the 67th minute, it was Dolabella's turn for the assist as he found fellow senior night honoree Diop for the goal. Dolabella and Diop were high school teammates at The Pennington School in New Jersey, and Diop transferred to Marshall over the summer after three years at UConn to reunite with Dolabella. Diop netted his second goal of the season and eighth of his collegiate career. Again, Dolabella was still not finished on this senior night.
In the 71st minute, Marshall almost scored again when senior Jan-Erik Leinhos fired a shot that was saved by the keeper.
After the Herd took the 3-0 lead on Diop's goal, South Carolina turned up the pressure in the attempt to get on the scoreboard. Semmle made two more saves in the 72nd and 75th minutes to chants of "Oli Oli" from the crowd.
Even with the 3-0 lead, the Herd did not let up on the offensive end. In the 77th minute, junior Alex Adjetey went flying down the pitch and sent a pass to Dolabella who broke through the middle yet again for his second goal of the night as Marshall led 4-0. Adjetey earned his third assist of the season. Dolabella picked up his career-best 10th goal.
South Carolina was issued its sixth card of the night less than 30 seconds after Dolabella's second goal. The Gamecocks did not quit and kept on fighting to try and end the shutout. Semmle made his fifth and final save of the match in the 82nd minute. The Au am Rhein, Germany native earned his 19th career clean sheet, trailing only Daniel Withrow's 21.5 for tops all-time in team history.
The Herd sent in several subs toward the end of the match to allow players to come off to a nice ovation from the home crowd.
Dolabella was subbed out in the 84th minute and went out on senior night adding to his already impressive resume and legend at Marshall. The player who was once told he wasn't good enough to play Division I soccer netted five total points in the match and tied his career-high with the two goals.
"I came to America to go to high school and I had no (scholarship) offers," Dolabella said about his journey. "Everyone was telling me to go to Division III. And Chris (Grassie), I thank him for opening doors for me. My first year I came as a walk-on. When I got here my first goal was to just make the away trips, but in the preseason I came in locked in and ready and prepared well. I was able to play a lot my first year and just build confidence.
"Getting to lift Marshall to a National Championship with all of my teammates and all of these wonderful people, it's like a movie you know. Probably the best memory of my life being able to accomplish that. But most importantly for sure is the journey and the people you meet along the way and the memories you make."
Coach Grassie also talked about the impact that Dolabella has had on the program.
"One of my proudest coaching relationships has been with Pedro because he has grown so much," Grassie said about his midfielder. "He's grown from a temperamental young man. He has always had so much talent, but it is the 17-year old Pedro versus the 22-year old Pedro. He has all that maturity. He understands completely how we play. He is an ambassador for the way we play and he's been able to control that emotion and make it work for him instead of against him.
"He is just such an ambassador for the way we play, the way we defend, the way we knock the ball around and that is Marshall soccer. I have had a great relationship with him and will be very sad to see him go."
Dolabella now has 23 goals in his career, good for sixth all-time at Marshall. He is tied for fourth all-time in assists with 16 and jumped over former teammate Jamil Roberts on the all-time points list to sixth with 62. Dolabella currently leads Conference USA in goals, goals per game, points and points per game.
Marshall has already earned a spot in the Conference USA Tournament and it has a chance for the number one seed. The Herd will finish the regular season on Friday, Nov. 5, at No. 17 FIU. The Panthers currently hold the top spot in the C-USA standings with 19 points after earning another win on Saturday. The Herd has 17 points and sits in second. Marshall needs a win at FIU to earn the regular season championship and the top seed in the tournament. The Panthers can stay on top with either a win or a draw. Kickoff from Miami is set for 7 p.m.
For all of the latest information on the Marshall men's soccer team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdMSoccer, Facebook at Marshall University Soccer and on www.herdzone.com.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules, and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS or Android!
---HerdZone.com---
Team Stats
USC
MAR
Goals
0
4
Shots
7
13
Shots on Goal
5
5
Saves
1
5
Corners
6
1
Fouls
13
4
Scoring Plays
Joao Souza (1)
Assisted By: Milo Yosef
GOAL by MAR Souza, Joao Assist by Yosef, Milo.
11:56
Pedro Dolabella (10)
Assisted By: Milo Yosef
GOAL by MAR Dolabella, Pedro Assist by Yosef, Milo.
64:01
Ibrahima Diop (2)
Assisted By: Pedro Dolabella
GOAL by MAR Diop, Ibrahima Assist by Dolabella, Pedro.
66:04
Pedro Dolabella (10)
Assisted By: Alexander Adjetey
GOAL by MAR Dolabella, Pedro Assist by Adjetey, Alexander.
76:52
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
3
SOG
2
Goals
2
Assists
1
mid
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
fwd
Shots
4
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
2
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Soccer
MF
/ Men's SoccerF
/ Men's SoccerMF
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's Soccer
Gk
/ Men's SoccerMF
/ Men's SoccerF
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