ST. LOUIS – With only two minutes left in the contest, a booming pass from Tommy Barrell sailed perfectly into the box where senior Marcos Ayelo hammered it home to grab the first victory of the season for Maryville men's soccer 2-1 over visiting Parkside.

Ayelo was one of two goal scorers, with Sebastian Weitlaner, another senior, scoring on a header of his own in the 70th minute. 

The Saints dominated on the offensive end for majority of the contest, taking 25 shots in the game with 13 going on net. The defensive unit was lockdown, allowing just two shots on goal. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
On a hot September afternoon, the Saints were aggressive early as Samuel Hernandez rattled off a shot in the seventh minute, setting the tone as they took 11 attempts as the break hit. 

Out of the intermission, fatigue set in for both teams, with the numbers of the Saints coming in handy as the Saints pushed for attempt after attempt, with a shot by Jan Fulnek rattling off the woodwork in the 53rd minute.

The scoreless draw broke in the 70th, with a cross by Luca Alessandro Ferrero finding the captain Sebastian Weitlaner far post for his first goal of the year. 
 

Despite a Rangers equalizer at the 87th, the Saints didn't settle for the tie, forcing the ball up field, with a UWP foul giving the Saints the chance that Ayelo finished. 

COACHES' CORNER
Head Coach Adam Hall on the pressure that the Saints created…
"We saw it at halftime, they were starting to look tired near the half, and we created a lot of chances. The message to the guys was 'just to keep turning the screw, it's gonna come,' and obviously it eventually did. We even believed right after they scored off that free kick, we still had the momentum."

Hall on the ability to rebound after conceding late…
"These moments are defining, because it gives you belief or it gives you disbelief, and so obviously in one moment you can see the heads go down but if you can learn from those moments and realize, 'Hey, we actually can go out and still win the game, even with three minutes left," I think we're going to use that as a catalyst for the rest of the season."

UP NEXT
The Saints begin Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) action this Sunday at 2:30 p.m., facing off against the Southest Baptist Bearcats in St. Louis.