Mariemont boys soccer shut out Finneytown 4-0 on Thursday, Oct. 15, to close the regular season with a memorable finish from head coach Erik Vanags at the final whistle.
Mariemont Athletic Director Tom Nerl shared the result on X, writing that the "Warriors down The Town 4-0 to wrap the regular season as Coach Vanags walks it off at the bell." A video of the moment accompanied the post.
The Cincinnati Hills League matchup was the Warriors' final regular-season game at Kusel Stadium. Mariemont entered the contest with an 8-3-3 overall record and a 3-2-2 mark in conference play, according to the team's schedule. The win lifts the Warriors to 9-3-3 overall and 4-2-2 in the CHL.
Mariemont rode a stretch of lopsided results into the finale. The Warriors beat Deer Park 9-0 on Sept. 29, then topped Reading 9-0 on Oct. 6. A 1-0 victory against Covington Catholic on Oct. 8 and a scoreless draw at Dayton Christian on Oct. 10 preceded the Finneytown shutout. A 2-1 home win over Oakwood on Sept. 26 started the late-season surge, giving Mariemont five results without a loss heading into the postseason.
The Warriors' three defeats came against Archbishop McNicholas (1-2 on Aug. 29), Kings (1-3 on Sept. 19) and Wyoming (0-3 on Sept. 22). Mariemont also played to ties against Madeira and Indian Hill in CHL play.
The roster features 23 players, with eight seniors including goalkeeper Mitchell Barr and forwards Jaron Richter, Will Shteiwi and Santino Serger.
Mariemont now turns to the OHSAA tournament. The team's schedule lists a District Quarterfinal at home against No. 13 Bethel-Tate on Saturday, Oct. 24, at noon at Kusel Stadium. The OHSAA calendar places Oct. 19-24 in the Sectional Tournament window, with Districts running Oct. 26-31.
