DULUTH, Minn. - The St. Scholastica men's soccer team put up a gritty defensive effort on Saturday afternoon at
Kenny Harkins Field but came up short against St. Olaf, falling 2-0 in MIAC play.
The Saints leaned heavily on goalkeeper
Ben Hallberg (Princeton, Minn./Princeton HS), who was outstanding between the posts, making a season-high 14 saves to keep the Oles' attack at bay for much of the match. Despite being under constant pressure - St. Olaf outshot CSS 29-4 - Hallberg and the Saints' backline held strong through a scoreless first half.
St. Scholastica generated offensive looks of its own, highlighted by shots on goal from
Gabriel Marchesoni (Surrey, Canada/),
Fabian Andrade (Quito, Ecuador/Colegio Intisana), and
Parker Chastey (Duluth, MN/Denfeld HS), but the Saints couldn't find a breakthrough against the Oles' keeper.
The visitors finally broke through in the 57th minute and added an insurance goal in the 82nd to seal the result.
The match was a physical one, with the Saints showing their grit by challenging every ball. CSS picked up six yellow cards and a red, while St. Olaf had three yellows and a red of their own.
With the loss, the Saints move to 0-7-3 overall and 0-3-0 in MIAC play. They'll look to regroup and turn strong defensive play into points on the board when they travel to Arden Hills, Minnesota on Tuesday, September 30th to take on Bethel. That match will begin at 4pm.
