WAUKESHA, Wis. - Andy Hovell thrived under the pressure.
Hovell, a 6-foot senior defender from Kimberly, Wis., perfectly demonstrated that by converting what became the winning goal on a pressure-packed penalty kick in the 14th minute to help lead the Carroll University men's soccer team to a 3-0 victory over Milwaukee School of Engineering in a fast, physical nonconference game at Schneider Stadium on Wednesday.
It was the first shutout of the season and second consecutive home-field victory for Carroll, which improved to 3-3 overall.
On the eventual game-winner at the 14:51 mark, Hovell calmly surveyed the situation, took a deep breath and fired a shot into the right corner just past the outstretched arms of the MSOE goalkeeper.
"I've been taking PK's my entire life so I was honored to be given the opportunity," said Hovell, who converted his second game-changing penalty kick of the season. "In those types of situations, it's just you and the goalie with everyone watching so there's a little pressure. That said, it was all about approaching the shot with confidence and doing my best to take advantage. It was just a great feeling to be able to put it away.
"From beginning to end, we put in 110 percent effort and that's exactly what we need to do in order to be a successful program. Having lost to MSOE last year (referring to a 3-0 road loss), it was nice to redeem ourselves with a victory tonight. It's the type of performance that will help set the standard for the season so now we just have to build on it and keep pushing forward."
Carroll extended the lead to 2-0 as senior midfielder Caden Pruitt (Ringwood, Ill.) scored an unassisted goal in the 49th minute. 
Sophomore midfielder Tlaloc Huerta (Delavan, Wis.) collected the Pioneers' final goal off an assist from Pruitt at the 89:10 mark to help ensure a victory.
Sophomore goalkeeper Nick Drew (Milton, Wis.) had eight saves, including two dramatic saves with 12 minutes remaining to help preserve a shutout.
He showcased his athleticism on a critical, momentum-shifting sequence that ultimately thwarted any hopes for a potential MSOE comeback.
On the play, MSOE All-American forward Braden Andryk fired a hard, low-lining PK toward the right side of the goal but Drew anticipated the direction of the shot, dove to the ground and blocked it.
The ball immediately bounced back to Andryk, who attempted to blast a follow-up shot into the left corner. Drew jumped back up and deflected it a second time to end the bang-bang play. 
It proved to be an important turning point in the contest as MSOE gradually lost momentum and struggled to finish the rest of the way.
"It was a great overall team win and we were very happy to come away with our first shutout of the season," said Drew, who played the entire 90 minutes. "All of the credit goes to my teammates and the great defense that they played throughout the night. 
"On the PK attempt, Andryk had a tendency to favor his left foot so I figured he was going to make a shot to the right side. As that happened, I just managed to get down low and make the first save, then got back up and made the second. It was just one of those times when the instinct took over and it all worked out in a big way. Being at home, it was great to get the shutout but it was even better being able to do it in front of our amazing fans."
Andryk attemped five shots for high-powered MSOE, which outshot the Pioneers 11-10 but dropped to 3-3 overall.