Oberlin entered Thursday’s non-conference matchup at Independence without its starting goalkeeper.
The Blue Devils took advantage in a 7-0 win over the visiting Phoenix.
“We struck early and often,” said Independence coach Ryan MacRaild. “They had good speed and a decent attack but Tyler (Korecko) had a good game in goal and their backup keepers, they used two, were not able to fill the role of the injured starter.”
Wyatt Kunevicius scored three goals while Sam Belitz and Seamus Kral both contributed with a pair.
Belitz, Adam Leibal and Brandon Patton all recorded assists in the win.
“We took advantage of the scoring opportunities when we could,” MacRaild said. “Our reserves had a large amount of playing time in the second half and preserved the shutout.”
Korecko notched nine saves in picking up his first clean sheet of the season.
Independence improved to 3-0. The Blue Devils host rival Cuyahoga Heights on Tuesday.
