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Carroll University Athletics

Scoreboard

Scoreboard

1
MLC MLC (2-3-1)
5
Winner Carroll CARROLL (3-2-0)
MLC MLC
(2-3-1)
1
Final
5
Carroll CARROLL
(3-2-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
MLC MLC 1 0 1
Carroll CARROLL 2 3 5

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | By Jeff Hagenau

Pios showcase depth, firepower in character-building victory

Carroll wins second straight at home; moves above .500 for first time since Oct. 24, 2015

WAUKESHA, Wis. - Balance, depth and firepower.
The young, hungry Carroll University men's soccer team showcased those three critical components as it defeated Martin Luther College 5-1 in a windy, warm nonconference game at Schneider Stadium on Friday evening.
It was the second consecutive home-field victory and equaled a season-high single-game goal total for Carroll, which improved to 3-2 overall with the dominant performance in front of the large, enthusiastic crowd.
The character-building effort took on added significance as it matched last season's victory total and marked the first time the Pioneers have had an above .500 record since Oct. 24, 2015 (when the Pioneers improved to 8-7-2 overall in a 4-0 home-field shutout of Ripon College).
Senior striker Shea Connell (Alfaz Del Pi, Spain) scored two first-half goals, highlighted by what became the eventual winning shot off an assist from senior defender Issey Valadez (Milwaukee, Wis.) at the 25:10 mark to lead Carroll, which outshot the Knights 33-3 in the contest - maintaining a statement-making 14-2 shot-on-goal advantage.
"We came into the game mentally prepared to win and that's what we did," said Connell, who earned second-team all-conference honors in the talent-laden College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin last season. "During the first five minutes, I took a knee to the thigh, didn't want to come out and just did my best to fight through the pain. Thankfully, I was able to come away with two goals after that.
"After scoring the second goal (referring to the game-winner), everyone was laughing a bit because my teammate was dribbling downfield and I stole it. The ball was closer to me so I took it and then followed with a shot that landed inside the near post.
"To be able to put a large number on the board and come away with a victory meant a lot. After going up by three goals it created an opportunity to develop a lot of players and get them valuable experience. It was more than only the starting 11 players. Everyone contributed to make it happen. It's been a long time since we've been above .500 so we feel like we are almost unbeatable moving forward. Now we just want to keep it going."
The Pioneers collected the first goal of the game as Connell finished on an assist from freshman defender Ricky Perez (Stevens Point, Wis.) in the 14th minute.
Martin Luther trimmed the deficit to 2-1 as senior midfielder Nate Lemke converted on a penalty kick at the 28:11 mark.
Carroll demonstrated its focus by scoring three unanswered goals over the course of the final 45 minutes - including two during a key, momentum-shifting three-minute stretch.
Junior midfielder Jack Daly (Darien, Ill.) scored off an assist from freshman midfielder Ryan Coughlin (Crystal Lake, Ill.) in the 73rd minute and freshman forward Julius Marks (Oconomowoc, Wis.) finished off an assist from Coughlin in the 75th minute.
The Pioneers' final goal came as sophomore midfielder Jason Sanderfoot (New London, Wis.) converted on a penalty kick at the 81:55 mark.
Sophomore goalkeeper Peter Villafuerte (Milwaukee, Wis.) played the entire 90 minutes to help preserve a victory.
Carroll second-year head coach Derek Marie was intrigued by the way his team maintained its intensity throughout the battle.
"While the game didn't go quite as planned in the first half, I think it was cool to be able to show our depth and how many guys are capable of contributing on a given night," said Marie, of the relentless 90-minute effort. "That will and persistence to keep going and going when things weren't rolling our way made the difference.
"It felt good to come out and put up a nice number of goals and the victory marked the first time we've been above .500 at any point since 2015. We're happy with the result and hope to keep it going with another W on Sunday. We were able to get goals from four different people tonight so it was impressive to see it happen."
Carroll has combined to outscore its last two opponents 7-1, powered by five unanswered goals in the second half.
Sophomore goalkeeper Josiah Mittelstadt registered nine saves for Martin Luther, which dropped to 2-3-1 overall.
Stay up to date on Carroll men's soccer this season by going online to www.gopios.com, or by following the Pioneers on Facebook (Carroll University Athletics), Twitter (@pio_athletics), and Instagram (@pio_athletics).
 
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