Duluth, Minn. – The Saint Scholastica Men's soccer team hosted a MIAC Conference opponent, the Cobbers of Concordia college today, October 11. Today's homecoming contest ended with the Saints claiming a decisive 4-0 victory over the Cobbers. 

First Half
The Saints wasted no time putting pressure on Concordia's back line. In the early minutes, Melvin Bergkvist (Vallingby, Sweden/) and Gabriel Marchesoni (Surrey, Canada/) each tested the goalkeeper with shots just wide, signaling the attacking intent that would define the half. That pressure paid off in the 13th minute, when Jakob Jansen (Lengerich, Germany) opened the scoring. Off a well-executed corner, Alexander Estrada-Cortez (Richfield, MN/Richfield HS) delivered a pinpoint pass that Jansen buried to give St. Scholastica a 1–0 lead.

Momentum continued to build for the Saints. In the 28th minute, Fabian Andrade (Quito, Ecuador/Colegio Intisana) doubled the advantage, finishing a smooth combination from Marchesoni and Louis Maerker (Essen, Germany/) to make it 2–0. Barely four minutes later, Tim Bader (München, Germany/) struck for the Saints' third goal, finding the back of the net after Bergkvist set him up perfectly inside the box.

The Saints weren't finished yet — in the 35th minute, Maerker capped off an explosive half with a composed finish of his own, again assisted by Estrada-Cortez. When the halftime whistle sounded, St. Scholastica led 4–0, having outshot Concordia 12–4 and completely dictating the pace of play.

Second Half
With a commanding lead secured, the Saints turned their focus to maintaining defensive discipline and managing the match. Goalkeeper Ben Hallberg (Princeton, Minn./Princeton HS) anchored the back line, making several key saves to preserve the shutout, while defenders Aiden Olson (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS), Jansen, and Parker Chastey (Duluth, MN/Denfeld HS) limited Concordia's scoring chances.

Despite the game growing more physical, St. Scholastica remained composed. The Saints rotated players effectively, with steady contributions from Gabriel Marchesoni (Surrey, Canada/), Alexander Estrada-Cortez (Richfield, MN/Richfield HS), and Louis Maerker (Essen, Germany/) helping the team control possession through the midfield.

Hallberg added two more saves in the second half as the Saints closed out the match with confidence, securing their second shutout of the season and improving their conference record to 2–3–1.

What's Next
The Saints (2-8-4, 2-3-1 MIAC) will travel to Stevens Point Wis. to play the Pointers (9-2-3) of The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Monday, October 13. The game is scheduled for 5 P.M.