Greenville ends five-match drought with 3-0 shutout over Madison
Greenville, SC (September 20th, 2026)- The Greenville Triumph Soccer Club returned to form Saturday night with a dominant 3-0 victory over Forward Madison, highlighted by a historic first-ever Triumph hat trick from striker Ropapa Mensah and a first head coaching win for Greenville’s Mark Ward. Tonight’s match was presented by DoubleTree Greenville Woodruff Road, the official host hotel of the Triumph.
The night began under unusual circumstances, as Head Coach Rick Wright was absent from the touchline after receiving a red card in the previous match. Under the direction of assistant coach Mark Ward, GTSC got out to a fast start in a critical match for the team’s playoff push.
In the 11th minute, Rodrigo Robles lofted a high ball into the box that found Mensah, who unleashed a blazing volley into the net for the opening goal. Just 20 minutes later, a smooth counterattack saw Chapa Herrera slip a ball into space for Mensah, who calmly finished into the far side netting, giving Greenville a 2-0 lead as the halftime break approached.
Just moments into the second half, Mensah capitalized on a loose touch from Madison’s keeper Bernd Schipmann, stealing the ball and dribbling into an open net for his third of the night—and his first Triumph hat trick.
Despite generating further chances, Greenville’s tally held at three, as a strong defensive effort from the Triumph back line closed out a convincing clean sheet. The win snapped a five-match regular season drought and lifted the Triumph to a 7-12-6 record and the 10th spot in the table, just shy of the playoff line.
“It was a monster effort from the team,” said assistant coach, Mark Ward. “We’ve talked all week about doing your job and really just fulfilling your individual responsibilities and tonight they did that.”
Greenville now turns their focus westward, traveling to face second-ranked Spokane Velocity next week in a crucial 9 p.m. EST kickoff.
Mark Ward, assistant coach, on the team’s performance as he filled in for suspended head coach Rick Wright: “It was a monster effort from the team. We’ve talked all week about doing your job and really just fulfilling your individual responsibilities and tonight they did that. The challenge for tonight was to respond well to any adversity early, but I think we actually didn’t have to respond because we were able to stay on the front foot – we were aggressive the entire time and I’m really proud of our effort.
Ropapa Mensah, forward, on his first Triumph hat trick: “I give credit to my teammates. Without them, I would not have been able to score all these goals tonight. Tonight, all of us came out so good and so sharp. The energy was so good. For me, I think I came in to this season and had to work on my fitness, but I am so much more fit now and I feel like I can run anywhere that I want and it’s helping me a lot.”
Evan Lee, midfielder, on the turnaround in form for the club tonight: “I think tonight we were very organized and we stuck to our game plan. Individuals had very good games and defensively we were flying into tackles, and that’s something that the staff has asked of us. I think guys took that to heart tonight and delivered great effort, and that’s what it’s all about.”
