WAUKESHA, Wis. - Matt Quint's first collegiate goal was a memorable one.
Quint, a 5-foot-7 freshman midfielder from Waukesha, scored on an assist from sophomore forward Brandon Johnston (Raleigh, N.C.) in the 45th minute but it wasn't enough as the Carroll University men's soccer team lost to high-powered University of Dubuque 5-1 in a nonconference game at Schneider Stadium on Wednesday.
Dubuque, which entered the contest ranked 23rd in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division III poll, scored three unanswered goals over the course of the opening 13 minutes en route to improving to 8-1 overall.
Senior forward Gonzalo Hernandez scored twice, including what became a game-winning unassisted goal in 11th minute, to lead the Spartans, who were outshot 11-9 but maintained a 5-4 shot-on-goal margin. Sophomore midfielder Malcolm Phillips, sophomore midfielder Matheus Santos and freshman midfielder Chris Rigby each added a goal.
It was the second consecutive loss and third in the last four games for Carroll, which dropped to 3-6-1 overall.
Since earning its first shutout of the season in a home-field victory over Milwaukee School of Engineering on Sept. 14, the Pioneers have struggled to finish - generating one goal in each of the last four games.
Quint's first career goal, which came at the 45:45 mark to trim the deficit to 3-1, provided a huge confidence-building spark for Carroll.
"It was a dream come true," said Quint, a graduate of Kettle Moraine High School. "I had wished for an opportunity to finish for quite some time so it was great to be able to come into the game, step up and make the most of the situation. 
"At that point, it provided some positive motivation and shifted the momentum in our favor. Even though we came up a little short tonight, I was very happy to have it come at home against a strong opponent. It was all about playing with passion and being the first one to the ball. Luckily, I managed to get a tip on it and finished with a quick shot into the back of the net. Hopefully, it will be the first of many to come this season. Looking back, it was a tough loss but we just have to keep working hard and be ready for the next game."
Quint had two shots on goal with senior midfielder Caden Pruitt (Ringwood, Ill.) and junior midfielder Kieran DeGroot (De Pere, Wis.) each contributing one for the Pioneers. Junior goalkeeper Jeremy Pasterz (Antioch, Ill.) played the entire 90 minutes.
Carroll veteran coach Rick Mobley was frustrated with his team's performance but hoped it would serve as a wake-up call heading into Saturday's College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin matchup with Illinois Wesleyan.
"Dubuque came out and clearly showed why they are one of the best teams in the country," Mobley said. "I was disappointed with our performance. In the second half, it really looked like we finally had the right group out there and really appeared to build a lot of momentum on Matt Quint's goal. It came on sheer effort and picked up our spirits early in the second half. Unfortunately, that's when they came right down, scored the fourth goal and broke our backs. Even though it was a difficult night, our second unit showed that they were ready to contribute so it will be hard to keep them off the field as we prepare to face Illinois Wesleyan.
"Last weekend, we lost to nationally-ranked North Park 2-1 but it was one of the high points of the season because of the spirited way that we competed. Tonight, was the low point so it will be interesting to see how we respond to the challenge."