2.5 Minutes of Chaos: How One Team's Historic Playoff Run Ended in an 8-0 Nightmare Before Halftime

A Season of Dreams Ends in a Shocking Onslaught

DOVER, Ohio – For the Marietta girls' soccer team, the 2025 season was a story of record-breaking success and historic achievements. But in the Elite Eight, that story came to a stunning and brutal conclusion against a team that was less a competitor and more a force of nature.

The final scoreboard read 8-0. The game didn't even see the second half. In a jaw-dropping display of dominance, Akron Archbishop Hoban dismantled Marietta's championship hopes in the Ohio Division III regional final Saturday night, ending the Tigers' incredible run with a mercy-rule decision.

The Blitz That Decided It All

The dream unraveled with shocking speed. Before fans at Crater Stadium had a chance to settle in, the match was effectively over. Hoban unleashed an offensive blitzkrieg, scoring two goals in the first two and a half minutes, putting Marietta in a hole from which they could never escape.

"Hoban came out and really put it on us from the very start," a candid Marietta coach Bill Mannix said after the match. "I think we were on our heels from the start. We got down two goals and we chased the entire time from there."

The relentless attack from Hoban continued, culminating in the decisive eighth goal just nine seconds before the halftime whistle, triggering the mercy rule and bringing the contest to an abrupt end.

Beyond the Final Score

Coach Mannix acknowledged that his squad wasn't at its peak, suggesting the toll of a tough playoff journey may have played a part.

"I don’t think this was our best game of the year. We came in kind of beat up from the other night," he explained, referencing their hard-fought regional semifinal victory. "Hoban is very good, but I felt like we could have brought a little bit better showing."

Despite the crushing final loss, the 8-0 score is not the number that will define Marietta's season. The 2025 campaign was a resounding success, marked by a record number of wins for the program and an unforgettable journey to the Elite Eight. The lopsided final score is merely a footnote in a season filled with triumphant moments that have set a new standard for Marietta soccer.