Rochester, Mich - Even the rain couldn't slow down the Golden Grizzlies as they won in dominating fashion, beating Horizon League opponent Wright State 5-0 at the Oakland Soccer Field.

Senior Owen Smith opened the flood gates for Oakland, scoring the first goal of the game in the 19' minute off an assist by junior Luke Benford. and freshman Donovan Phillip

Just three minutes later, Phillip this time jumped into the scoring mix, taking a pass from fifth year forward Mikey Ketteman and finding the back of the net.

A last-minute first half goal by sophomore Malik Sylvester would give Oakland a comfortable 3-0 margin going into the half.

With a sizeable lead, Oakland didn't slow the pace in the final 45 minutes. In the 51' minute,fresh out of halftime, Benford would notch his second assist of the day, this time to Ketteman who scored his team-leading seventh goal of the season to give the Golden Grizzlies a 4-0 cushion.

Oakland wasn't done just yet. Smith would finish the game the same way he started, scoring his second goal of the game in the 62' minute, closing the door on Wright State.

Smith, a native of New Zealand, saved his best performance for a special time, as his parents were in attendance.

"It means a lot that they're here," said Smith. "It's the first time i four years I've had them over here. I'm super happy they're here and it was a great time for them to come."

Oakland's offense kicked into high gear, despite battling wet conditions throughout the entire game. As a team, and individually, their offense has shown the ability to be dangerous. They have reached 20 total goals scored this season, ranking second among all Horizon League teams, while their lead goal scorer Ketteman's seven goals are tied for first among players in the conference.

"It was a great team effort, especially coming off the game against Western Michigan," said Oakland Head Coach Eric Pogue. "I was really pleased with the fight, effort, and determination of our guys to put a complete team effort in today."

Next up on Oakland's slate is another home game on Tuesday, this time against Lousville. Don't miss this special day as we host Senior Day, and honor our esteemed Seniors on the team!



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