SIOUX CENTER, Iowa — Northwestern College (14-2-2, 9-1-1) secured a 3-1 victory over Dordt University (4-8-6, 1-6-4) at the Defender Soccer Complex to finish their regular season. The Red Raiders' goalkeeper, Edoardo Allesandrini, tallied six saves in the second half to preserve the win.

Northwestern opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Drew Darnold netted his 14th goal of the season off a cross into the box by Bongkefon Kumla. The Defenders struggled to find the back of the net, with shots from Pablo Martin Domingo in the 22nd and 41st minutes and Tyson Reitsma in the 29th minute all going high. Dordt had opportunities from corner kicks, but those efforts did not yield a goal thanks to solid Raider defending. The first half concluded with the Raiders holding a 1-0 lead over the Defenders.

The second half commenced with Dordt on the offensive, but Northwestern's Edoardo Alessandrini made multiple crucial leaping saves. In the 56th minute, Darnold extended the Red Raiders' lead to 2-0 with an impressive 15th goal of the season. The goal came off a beautiful cross into the box by Kumla as he sent it in while while getting slide tackled. The Defenders responded swiftly, narrowing the gap to 2-1 with a goal from Domingo. Despite their efforts, including a red card issued to Tate Hansen, the Raiders maintained firm control of the match. Jovany Kabongo sealed the victory for Northwestern with a goal in the 81st minute. Darnold executed a perfect pass into the box right at the feet of Kabongo to make it 3-1. The clock hit zero and the Raiders went home victorius, but not before getting their GPAC championship trophy after the game.

GAME NOTES

• Darnold's 5 points on the day cap off an impressive season with 15 goals and 33 points
• Kumla's two impressive assists were his first two of the season
• The Raiders went deep into the bench using 9 different subs throughout the game

Up Next: The top-seeded Raiders will play their GPAC Quarterfinal match on Saturday at 2 PM against Mount Marty.

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