When Kyle Coryea, JD Fagan, and Alex Powell are playing up to their full potential and in sync with one another, they are one of the most dynamic boys soccer trios in Grant County.
Their skill was on full display on Wednesday night as the Marion Giants used an offensive explosion to defeat arch-rival Mississinewa, 6-3, under the lights of Dick Lootens Stadium for their first victory of the 2020 season.
“We came to play,” Marion Head Coach Jorge Berry said. “We played hard. We played so hard. And that is how we have to play. Our kids busted their tail on both ends of the [pitch.]”
Coryea, Fagan, and Powell combined for five of Marion’s six goals, while also recording four assists. Powell shined throughout the contest, scoring twice and creating a plethora of opportunities for both himself and his teammates.
“If we had possessed the ball a little bit more, we could have beaten their defense a little bit better than what we did,” Mississinewa Head Coach Jared Reel said. “They had a good game plan. It worked, and it took us out of our game a little bit.”
While they did give up three goals and make a few defensive lapses, Marion’s young back line held firm, and Malik Smith put together a stellar performance in net, making 10 saves, several at point blank range.
“He has been our most consistent player,” Berry said of Smith. “He has been the rock in our defense. He makes saves, but he is also talking to people in front of him. That makes all the difference in the world if you have your keeper talking to you. He’s doing an outstanding job.”
Colin Yoder played an excellent game for Mississinewa, scoring all three of their goals.
After the first 10 minutes, Marion began to dominate possession, maintaining consistent pressure on Mississinewa’s side of the pitch, and in a span of 7:10, they took control of the contest.
At the 24:33 mark of the first half, Powell scored his first goal, giving the Giants a 1-0 lead. Just over four minutes later, Powell collected an assist, firing a perfect cross to the middle to a streaking Fagan, who connected on a beautiful header to make it 2-0.
Coryea capped off the scoring barrage off a perfectly placed free kick from Fagan, giving the Giants a 3-0 advantage with 17:22 to play in the first half.
Evan Yoder, who usually plays out in the field for Mississinewa, was forced to play goalkeeper due to injuries and sickness. Facing a lethal Marion offense, Yoder filled in admirably, making eight saves.
“It’s tough for a kid to play a position that he hasn’t played in four years,” Reel said. “But he did a good job.”
Despite the three-goal deficit, the Indians continued to battle throughout the first half. With 6:11 remaining, Colin Yoder broke through the Giants’ defense, scoring his first of the evening to trim Marion’s lead to 3-1 at the halftime break.
“His speed and athleticism – I don’t think you are going to find many athletes in this county that are more athletic than Colin Yoder,” Reel said.
The Indians came out strong in the second half, recording a few high-quality scoring opportunities, but Smith stood tall, keeping it a two-goal game.
Defender Tyson Johnson rewarded Smith for his effort, putting Marion back up by three with a free kick that sailed over the head of Evan Yoder and into the back of the net.
The two teams went on to trade goals. Colin Yoder scored his second of the night off a great feed from Elliott Williams to make it 4-2, but Powell scored 29 seconds later to push Marion’s advantage back to three.
Yoder completed his hat trick at the 24:46 mark of the second half, but that was as close as the Indians would get. Coryea added a little insurance with 17:49 left to play, helping the Giants secure the victory.
“I’m very proud of how we played,” Berry said. “I think this will be a momentum builder.”
The Indians, after a 3-0 start, have cooled off, losing tough contests to Northwestern and Liberty Christian along with Marion.
However, despite the final score, Reel was proud of how his team fought throughout the evening and is confident that they will bounce back. After playing six games in eight days, and with another contest coming up on Saturday against Delta, the Indians are ready for some much-needed rest.
“They played well tonight, despite the circumstances of playing all of those games already,” Reel said. “Hopefully we can get through Saturday and get some time off.”