ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The (RV) Northwestern College men's soccer (5-1-1, 1-0 GPAC) team opened up Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) with a 2-0 win over Briar Cliff (4-5, 2-1 GPAC) tonight to start GPAC with a win for the first time since 2018.
The Homecoming festivities on the campus of Northwestern College ended on a high note tonight as the Raiders open GPAC play with a win behind goals from
Juan Mackrey (Sr., Balcare, Argentina/Georgia Military College) and
Niklas Fitter (Fr., Sankt Augustin, Germany/Rhein Sieg Gymnasium).
The Raiders were outshot on the night 14-8 but were able to keep Briar Cliff off the board to secure their fifth win of the season and their third consecutive shutout, fourth shutout of the 2021 season. Northwestern also took two corner kicks while the Chargers had zero corner opportunities.
In the 16
th minute,
James Bolger (Jr., Boyle, Republic of Ireland/Abbey Community College) attempted a header, but Mackrey was there to clean it up and ensure the score for the Raiders. Bolger collected his second assist of the season.
In the 31
st minute, it was German-to-German as Fitter finding the back of the net for the first time this season and in his collegiate career. Fellow German
Tim Kaltenberger (So., Colonge, Germany/Max Ernst Gymnasium) was credited with the assist, his first of the season.
The match saw aggressiveness turn into yellow cards as 11 were issued in the 90 minutes of game actions, including one red card that came about after two yellow cards issued to the same athlete. Briar Cliff played a man down for the final nine minutes.
Ezekiel Foltz (Jr., Sioux Center, Iowa/Sioux Center) picks up the win in the net, improving his season record to reflect the team's overall record of 5-1-1. He tallied six saves in the net to keep the Chargers off the board.
Up Next: The Raiders return to the NWC Soccer Complex on Wednesday night when they play host to No. 21-ranked Mustangs of Morningside University come to town for more GPAC option. Kickoff is set for 7:15 p.m.
