After a hard-fought loss on Thursday night, the Meridian High School boys’ soccer team was well-prepared for their third game in five days as they hosted the Titans from Dominion. The weather was perfect and the stands were full, and facing an opponent that’s yet to win in 2025, it was a good night for the Mustangs to make a statement.

That they did. Fletcher Saaty scored not even 30 seconds into the action on a feed from Henry Brown, and then made it 2-0 on an impressive shot from the corner just shy of midway through the first half. Minutes later the star forward would earn himself a prime opportunity for a natural hat trick, finding himself alone on an odd-man break, but his shot was deflected and it was Osteen Espina-Campos cleaning up the rebound to put the Mustangs up by three. Dominion scored on a penalty kick late in the half, but a Meridian avalanche ensued as within a span of five minutes, Meridian’s Carlos Valle-Cabrera scored twice and Saaty netted his third to give the home team a 6-1 lead at the break.

The Mustangs refused to let off the gas, and in the second half it was Amin Shams’ turn to take over, finding the back of the net three minutes into the period. Shams scored again at just past midway in the frame, and needing just one more goal to force Mercy Rule into effect, it was Espina-Campos who sealed the deal with 13 minutes to spare.

Meridian improves to 4-2 on the season with the 9-1 victory, and the boys will now have a weekend of well-earned rest before completing their four-game homestand against Fauquier next Tuesday.