ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- The Northwestern College men's soccer team battled excessive heat for the second straight day and used late game heroics to knock off (RV) Missouri Baptist 2-1 in St. Louis this afternoon, ending the Spartan home win streak that dates back to the 2017 season.
"It is really, really tough to play two matches in 22 hours when the heat index is over 100 degrees," stated head coach
Dan Swier. "Getting a result in both matches shows the depth and quality of our squad this season. It was a road trip that stretched and challenged the guys in a variety of ways and we as a coaching staff saw a lot of growth from this experience." Coach Swier's squad improves to 2-0-0 on the season.
The first half saw a lot of fast-paced back and forth action that did not amount to any scoring. An aggressive challenge towards the end of the first half saw a red card drawn against Missouri Baptist. A chippy first half saw four cards drawn against the Spartans, forcing them to play a man down for more than half the match.
A little over a minute into second half a Raider foul in the box allowed MBU's Dom Smith to convert a penalty to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead. The Raiders were able to create a number of scoring opportunities but could not quite break through until the 70th minute.
A Spartan foul in the box created a penalty shot opportunity for the Raiders as
Juan Mackrey (Sr., Balcare, Argentina, Colegio Santa Rosa De Lima) would convert for the equalizer, picking up his second goal in as many days. After the Mackrey goal, the momentum never left the Raiders as the attack stayed constant for the final 20 minutes of play. The constant pressure on Missouri Baptist's defense continued from the Raiders and in the 85'
Riley Aarbo (Fr., Sioux Falls, S.D., O'Gorman) broke through for the Raiders, finding the back of the net for the game winning goal.
Northwestern's offensive attack was able to create a number of opportunities throughout the match. The Raiders out shot the Spartans (10-8) and totaled six corner kicks as opposed to four for Missouri Baptist. The Raider attack was able to get eight shots on goal, while the defense remained solid and were able to hold the Spartans offense to only three attempts on goal.
Ezekiel Foltz (Jr., Sioux Center, Iowa/Iowa Central Community College) tallied two saves on the afternoon in the goal, picking up his second win in the net for the Raiders.
Up Next: The Raiders will return home to Orange City, Iowa for their home opener on Sept. 3 as they take on the Clarke Pride at 5:00 p.m. at the Northwestern College Soccer Complex.
