Box Score Box Score
ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn. – The St. Scholastica men's soccer team held off a streaky Crown College squad on Friday afternoon, defeating the Storm 3-2 for its fifth straight victory.
The Storm (6-11-2, 5-7-1 UMAC) came into today's contest having defeated the second-place team, Minnesota-Morris, and the third place team, Northwestern College, in the league in the previous two games. The Saints (12-0-1, 15-3-1 UMAC), who had already clinched the conference title, were looking to avoid being Crown's next conquest.
It didn't start great for the Saints as they knocked the ball into their own net off of a corner in the 17th minute to give the Storm a 1-0 advantage.
The lead didn't last long as #Brandon Stemwedel# scored his second of the season in the 21st minute off of a cross from #Jermaine Dacres# to tie it at 1-1. About 10 minutes later, CSS took the lead when Dacres got a rebound off the goalkeeper and put it in the net for the fifth straight game to make the halftime score 2-1 St. Scholastica. For Dacres, that was his 15th goal of the season. That is the most goals in a season by a Saints player since current senior #Cody Sveiven# did it as a freshman in 2007.
Dacres would also be apart of the Saints' third goal of the day as he drew a foul in the box to create a penalty kick opportunity. #Greg Doornink# stepped to take the PK and converted to make it 3-1 in the 53rd minute. The Saints are 2-for-2 on PKs this season with Doornink netting both.
#Sam Reed# would be replaced in net for the Saints by #Adam Hewitt# later in the second half. The Storm made it interesting with a goal in the 81st minute to cut the margin to 3-2. However, that's as close as they would get as the Saints hung on for the 3-2 victory. St. Scholastica improves to 8-0-0 on the road this season.
The two goals given up by the Saints matches the total number of goals allowed in the previous 12 conference games this season.
Sam Reed (Eastbourne, England/Causeway School) earned the win in net for the Saints for his 14th victory of the season. CSS outshot Crown 21-8 in the contest and had a 5-2 edge in corner kicks.
The Saints will play their final regular season contest tomorrow when they face Northwestern College. That match is scheduled to begin at noon.
