DULUTH, Minn. (Sep. 19, 2008) – Beginning their 2008 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) schedule against last year's league champion was a challenge for the Northwestern College men's soccer team.  The Eagles took the challenge, and shut out the College of St. Scholastica in the process on the Saints' home turf in a 2-0 final.

Ben Haugen (Andover, MN/Meadow Creek High School) (Andover, Minn./Meadow Creek) got things started for the Eagles 16 minutes into the game, heading in Ben Fast's (Eagan, Minn./Henry Sibley) free kick into the net.  It was Haugen's first goal of the season.

After going into the locker room with a 1-0 halftime lead, Northwestern's Cal Kanowitz (St. Paul, Minn./Johnson) added an insurance goal for the Eagles in the 54th minute.  Kanowitz, who tied his season's goal total from 2007, received a pass from David Mugambira (Waltham/Vienna College, Kampala Uganda) (Waltham, Mass./ Vienna Mamugongo Kampala UG) behind the St. Scholastica goalkeeper and booted the ball into the corner of the net.

Eagles goalkeeper Danny King (Willmar, MN/Willmar High School) (Willmar, Minn./Willmar) and the rest of Northwestern's defense did their part, keeping the Saints' 15 shots out of the goal.  King had seven saves in his first shutout of the season.

Northwestern (2-4, 1-0 UMAC) will begin their UMAC-opening weekend on Saturday, when they travel to Ashland, Wis. to face Northland College.  That game is set to begin at 12 Noon.