FRANKLIN – The Franklin men's soccer team opened a critical three-game homestand on Saturday (Oct. 14) afternoon with the Defiance Yellow Jackets in town for a big conference showdown.
 
Both teams traded chances all afternoon long but when the final horn sounded, the two sides settled to split the points as the match finished in a 0-0 draw. The result moves Franklin to 3-7-4 on the year with a 2-2-2 mark in conference play. Defiance is now 4-6-5 overall with a 1-2-3 record in league play.
 
How it Happened
Both teams looked to generate chances on via the long ball, with both front lines getting up and down the field quickly early on. Franklin's first quality attempt came in the 15^th minute on a Lucas Periera shot that was turned back. The Grizzlies generated 12 first half shot attempts but were only able to get one on target before the half ended.
 
The Grizzlies' best chance of the game came in the 48^th minute when a slick passing combination put Eddy Yousak in on goal but his shot from in tight ended up in the goalkeeper's arms. The Grizzlies fought off several late corner kicks from Defiance and had one last chance to win the game with 30 seconds to play. But a long shot from Daniel Bravo-Gomez just sailed wide and the clock rank out shortly after.
 
Inside the Box Score
-Shot attempts were 21-14 in Franklin's favor with the Grizzlies putting six shots on target to four for the Yellow Jackets.
-Bravo-Gomez and Theo Sasso led the team with four attempts each and six different players finished with a shot on target.
-Ian Rowe stopped all four shots he faced to earn his second clean sheet of the year.
 
Up Next
Franklin welcomes Rose-Hulman to town on Wednesday (Oct. 18) night for game two of their three-game homestand. Kick-off from Faught Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m.