Box Score

ST. PAUL – Facing a tough St. Olaf College opponent, the University of Northwestern men's soccer team came up short in its first contest on the new season Friday evening, losing 2-0 at Reynolds Field. The Eagles posted just three shots and were unable to muster any attacks on goal, leaving the squad scoreless after 90 minutes of play.

St. Olaf got on the board early, as Torbjorn Morkeberg found the back of the net at the 4:23 mark. The Eagles were unable to respond, making their next offensive attack just under 19 minutes later. One more UNW shot concluded the squad's offensive production in both the first half and game, leaving Northwestern with a 0-1 deficit heading into halftime.

The second period featured a Purple and Gold defense that limited the offensive opportunities by the Oles, limiting the visitors on the scoreboard to just four attempts in the second half. Queue the 52^nd minute, however, and Ryan Johnsrud put St. Olaf back on the board for what would prove to be the final 2-0 score. Northwestern continued to battle, forcing two corner kick opportunities, but it was too little too late for the home squad.

Many Eagles gained their first collegiate experience in the matchup that saw St. Olaf outshoot UNW 15-3, including 2-0 on goal. Josh Wright (Willmar, Minn./Willmar), Larry Sinneh (Monrovia, Liberia/Cathedral), and Eric Fast (Eagan, Minn./Homeschool) all made pushes toward the goal, but the Ole defense withstood any attacks on their end of the field.

Northwestern (0-1) will get the weekend off from competition before once again hosting a non-conference contest against the University of St. Thomas on Tuesday, September 3 at 4 p.m. The Tommies and Eagles faced off in 2012, with St. Thomas coming out on top 2-0. Both live stats and video broadcast will be available for Tuesday's game and can be found here and here.