ST. PAUL, Minn.- The University of Northwestern Men's Soccer team hosted their crosstown rivals, the Bethel University Royals, on Friday night in front of a crowd of over 200 people at Reynolds Field. The game marked the season opener for both teams and saw a lot of excitement in the bleachers and a lot of intensity on the field. The Royals won a tight contest, 2-0.
Approximately 89 of the 90 minutes of the contest were extremely close and evenly matched. However, one minute was enough to change the outcome of this match. The game started out with both teams trading blows but neither team finding a way to get into the back of the opposition's net. Each team had their scoring chances, but the game was scoreless for the first nine minutes.
In the tenth minute, the Royals went on a run that the Eagles were never able to come back from. Bethel was able to score all of the game's goals in less than a minute's span. Early in the 10
th minute, the Royals earned a penalty kick that they were able to cash in on and take a 1-0 lead. 50 seconds later, they scored again to take a 2-0 lead. That score would hold for the next 80 minutes of the game, and the Eagles lost the season opener 2-0.
The Eagles were very consistent with their chances in the game. They delivered four shots in the first half and four more in the second half. The Royals did win the shots on goal battle, 7-3.
The second half of this contest didn't contain any goals from either side, but still had many memorable moments. The Eagles were very close to cracking the digits on the scoreboard multiple times, with the best chance coming off a shot from
Curtis Tinjum (Wausau, Wisc./Wausau West) that looked destined for the back of the net but was knocked away by the Bethel keeper. The Royals also had some chances in the second half, but the Eagles' defense found ways to keep the ball out of the net and keep their deficit at only two goals. The Eagles saw excellent play from the two keepers that they used, and also received some help from "a goalie's best friend" the goal post which kept a couple of BU shots out of the net in the second half.
Andrew Skoglund (Northfield, Minn./Skoglund Academy) finished the game with three saves for the Eagles, and
Kyle Dipzinski (Ionia, Minn./Ionia) made his collegiate debut in net and made two saves of his own.
The Eagles' offense was well balanced as six players combined for the team's eight shots.
Curtis Tinjum (Wausau, Wisc./Wausau West) and
Alejandro Alfaro (Murrieta, Calif./Vista Murrieta) each led the way with two shots for the Eagles.
Colin Schellenberg (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park),
Jonathan-Thomas Olsen (Modesto, Calif./James Enochs High),
Gonzalo Luna Belmonte (Riverbank, Minn./Riverbank), and
Aaron Hill (New Brighton, Minn./Mounds View) all chipped in a shot as well.
UNW Men's Soccer will be back in action on Tuesday, September 5
th. They will travel to Augsburg University with the game scheduled to begin at 7:00pm.
