Defense holds strong in 3-0 win for DC season opener

DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Yellow Jackets of Defiance College came out with a strong showing to start off the 2013 season with a 3-0 shutout victory over Rockford University.

Just seven minutes in, the game turned as Rockford's Diego Ramos got a red card for violent behavior. Junior Kevin Arriola (New Lebanon, Ohio) capitalized just six minutes later letting loose a strike and bent it over the keepers head to put the Yellow Jackets up 1-0.

Just a short 12 minutes later, senior defender Luke Freels (Ludlow Falls, Ohio) put in a header for his first goal of the season and the first goal of his career. The goal came from a nicely placed free kick pass from Jordan Drake (Maumee, Ohio). The score stayed at 2-0 for the remainder of the half.

The Defiance defense went to work in the second half, not only not giving up a shot on goal, but not giving up a shot at all in the entire game.

Defiance scored its final goal on junior Robert Tanya's (New York, N. Y.) first career goal as he beat the keeper one on one. The Yellow Jackets have now won the first game of the season in two of the last three seasons.

Coach Alex VanderSluijs said he was happy with the victory but kind of disappointed about the early red card which gave Defiance an 11 to 10 advantage in players on the field. "I'm happy for the win, but with the first game of the season you want to see where your team is at and the game changes when the opponent goes down to 10 men. It is hard to really get a gauge of where you are at."

The Yellow Jackets will return to action Sunday as they again play home against Westminster at 3 p.m. in the final day of the Defiance Classic.