Improved 2nd half not enough for Knights, Polars win 4-0
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NEW ULM -- An improved effort in the second half by the Martin Luther College Knights on Saturday was not enough to erase the results of the first half as the Crown College Polars shut out the Knights for the second time this season with a 4-0 win in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference men's soccer action.
The game was also an improvement for the Knights from their previous meeting with the Polars in St. Bonifacius on Sept. 28 when the Polars won 8-0. However, the Knights may have had that game in mind during the first half Saturday as the Polars built a 4-0 lead by halftime.
Crown outshot the Knights 14-4 in shots on goal total but had an 11-1 advantage in the first half.
"Pressure in the midfield was better for us in the second half," MLC associate men's soccer coach Nicolas Schmoller said. "Instead of just being in our positions, we were finding a guy to not letting them turn and many times just won it from them in the midfield. They were doing that in the first half, our guys, I think it was just a lack of confidence in the first half."
Ashton Hosler, who finished with two goals, scored his first of the day in the fifth minute after a low shot on an assist from Juan Fernando Arriaga got by MLC keeper Nicholas Russ.
Hosler put Crown up 2-0 in the 11th minute on a high shot over the head of Russ.
Fernando Arriaga got into the scoring column also in the 18th minute for a 3-0 Crown lead. Crown took a 4-0 lead on a penalty kick by Dullio Del Carpio in the 36th minute.
MLC got two shots on goal less than two minutes apart from Owen Heiman and Joshua Krenke in the final 10 minutes of play, but Crown keeper Leo Roque was able to stop both shots to preserve his shutout.
Schmoller credited Crown's passing for making it tough on his squad.
"Their passing is just very good," he said. "They're comfortable, even in their own half just trying to play short passes and build up that way, create some 2-on-1s or 3-on-2s. Accurate passes, receive them well, which is a good way to play soccer, so they're just tough that way. And that's how they scored on us, too. No really outstanding shots, but they were in outstanding positions."
MLC (2-12-1, 1-8-1) hosts the University of Minnesota Morris at 1 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.