With their win over Bethany Lutheran, the Cougar men’s soccer team assured themselves at least one post-season game at home. The 5-0 victory gives UMM 33 points in the conference standings, mathematically out of reach of the third and fourth place teams.
It was another dominating performance for UMM, their 11th shutout in 12 wins. Bethany Lutheran managed only two shots the entire game, neither one on goal.
Senior captain Patrick O’Connor scored unassisted in the 16th minute from inside the box. Three minutes later, he assisted senior Brent Diggs on his 10th goal of the season for 2-0 lead.
Senior Kelsey Duerr blasted home a free kick in the 23rd minute for his team-leading 11th tally of the season. Duerr currently leads the UMAC in scoring with 28 points, followed by Diggs (22 points), O’Connor (22 points) and junior Mattson Towley (19 points).
O’Connor would score a second time in the first half in the 32nd minute off a pass from Duerr. Midfielder Jeff Lind rounded out the day with his first goal of the year in the 63rd minute.
Two shutouts over the weekend will burnish the Cougars’ already stellar rankings on the national stage. Last week they were ranked seventh in shutout percentage and eighth in goals against average. Duerr figures to be ranked among top scorers when the next set of NCAA statistics is released later this week.
Next weekend, the Cougars travel north to face St. Scholastica in a game that figures to decide home field advantage for all of the UMAC post-season.
Minnesota, Morris 5