ST. PAUL, Minn. – Some days, everything clicks. Tuesday was one of those days for the University of Northwestern Men's Soccer team. Strong play at all three levels propelled the Eagles to a 3-0 home win over Northland College, who came in sitting third in the latest UMAC standings.
In the 17
th minute,
Garrett Miers (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) tried his hand shooting from the top of the 18-yard box. A Northland defender blocked the attempt, but the rebound came back to Miers, who tried again but with his left foot this time, and delivered a missile to the top left corner of the net. There may not be a goalkeeper in the world who would have been able to reach to where that ball was placed. The goal was Miers's second in as many games.
Just six minutes later, UNW once again went on the attack when
Joey McMillin (Hugo, Minn./Centennial) launched a ball from midfield on a hop into the box.
Aaron Hill (New Brighton, Minn./Mounds View) ran it down and tapped a teardrop over the keeper's outstretched arms for the second goal of the day and Hill's first of the year. These types of opportunities would be a recurring theme throughout the match for Northwestern.
In the 59
th minute, the diaper dandy,
Simeon Friesen (Mounds View, Minn./Mounds View), received a pass from
Nathan Martinez (Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee) with a lot of space to operate. Friesen took his time, lined up his shot and dropped a perfect ball over the leaping Lumberjacks goalkeeper. It was the fifth goal of the season for the freshman and would be the final scoring play of the 3-0 Northwestern win.
As dialed in as the offense was, Northwestern's defense deserves a lot of credit as well. The back line of
Troy Johnson (Killeen, Texas/Killeen),
Nathan Martinez (Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee),
Noah Chan (Brandon, S.D./Brandon Valley),
Curtis Tinjum (Wausau, Wisc./Wausau West) and
Tim DeLoye (Wausau, Wisc./Wausau West) made
Kyle Dipzinski's (Ionia, Mich./Ionia) life easy, holding Northland to just five shots and one shot on goal, which Dipzinski saved.
Offensively, UNW was led by Friesen's five shots and two shots on goal. Miers tallied four shots and one on goal, while McMillin finished with three shots, one of which was on goal.
Robert Moeller (Sheboygan, Wis./Sheboygan Christian) came off the bench and provided two shots on goal, while Hill, Johnson,
Gonzalo Luna Belmonte (Riverbank, Calif./Riverbank) and
Luis Villalobos (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) each added one shot on goal. As a team, the Eagles dominated possession, out-shooting the Lumberjacks 21-5 and 10-1 on goal.
Tuesday's win earned Northwestern a much-needed sweep of its three-game conference home stand that began last Wednesday and has put them back in the thick of the race to the UMAC Playoffs. The Eagles will look to stay hot Saturday as they travel to Crown College for a date with the Polars. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 PM in St. Bonifacius.
