NEW ULM, Minn. - The University of Northwestern Men's Soccer Team faced Martin Luther College on a dreary, wet Saturday afternoon. The Eagles fell 0-1 after the Knights scored in the opening minute of the match.
Martin Luther came out quickly, finding UNW's back line off balance, to score just 12 seconds into the opening half. The Eagles battled with multiple opportunities on target, but were unable to convert. In the 14th minute, Josiah Mezey (Monument, Colo./Village) sent a cross through the front of the goal that narrowly missed two Eagle attackers. Brendan Smith (Richfield, Minn./Richfield) challenged the Martin Luther goalkeeper in the 21st minute, keeping pressure on the Knights' defense. Braeden Morrow (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) nearly broke through for Northwestern with a great strike from the top of the box. The Martin Luther goalkeeper stopped the shot, sending the ball back into the box where Blaine Chandler (Wylie, Texas/Plano Senior) got a foot on it. Chandler's attempt was unable to find the back of the net, allowing the goalkeeper to gather the ball.
The Knights held onto the one-goal advantage heading into the break despite UNW outshooting MLC 12-5. Northwestern continued to put pressure on the Martin Luther defense in the second half as Mezey, Ryan Dryer (Kenosha, Wis./Westosha Central), Nathan Parker (Lino Lakes, Minn./Homeschool), and Kayden Dugger (Cincinnati, Ohio/Archbishop McNicholas) combined for seven chances. On paper, the Eagles held the advantage with a 19-9 edge in shots, a 5-2 advantage in corner kicks, and a 6-3 lead in shots on goal. The Martin Luther goalkeeper made six saves to keep Northwestern off the scoreboard and preserve the 1-0 victory for the Knights.
Mezey led the team with seven shots and three on target, while Dryer, Morrow, and Smith collected the other three on-target attempts. Logan Hutzenbiler (Billings, Mont./Billings Central Catholic) played the full 90 minutes in goal for the Eagles, grabbing two saves.
UNW will face the University of Minnesota-Morris on Wednesday, September 30, at 7:00 PM
