Men's soccer gets defensive in 2-0 win

ST. PAUL – The St. Thomas men's soccer team did not allow a shot on goal on its way to a 2-0 win over Bethel on Saturday afternoon at South Field. In a game that yielded just 11 total shots, the Tommies collected a goal in each half on their way to gathering three points in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) standings.

With the win, St. Thomas improves to 5-0-2 overall and 1-0-1 in the MIAC, while Bethel drops to 4-2-1 overall and 0-1-1 in league play.

The two teams played to a scoreless tie through much of the first half. But a foul called on the Royals in the final three minutes of the half gave the Tommies a penalty kick at the 42:11 mark. Senior Mark Heydt took the PK and did not let it go to waste, scoring his second goal of the year to give his team the 1-0 lead headed to halftime.

In the half, St. Thomas outshot Bethel 6-0, including a 4-0 advantage in shots on target. In addition, the Tommies also held the advantage in corner kicks, 4-0 through the first 45 minutes.

The second half saw tempers flare a bit, as a pair of yellow cards and 20 fouls were handed out amidst highly contested play.

However, the Tommies prevailed, scoring an insurance goal in the 75th minute to put the game out of reach. Junior Christian Elliehausen found the end of a Walter Alvarado cross to the back post and Elliehausen put it home to secure the 2-0 victory.

For the game, St. Thomas finished with a 9-2 shot advantage, including a 5-0 edge in shots on goal. The Tommies also racked up a 7-3 difference in corner kicks.

In net, sophomore Aidan Hogan recorded his second win of the year, while Jakob Bartels suffered the loss in a three-save effort.

The Tommie men will be back in action again tomorrow when they host UW-Superior in a non-conference tilt at South Field. Game time is scheduled for 3:30 pm.

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Team Stats

Mark Heydt

Christian Elliehausen

Walter Alvarado

Shae Bottum

University of St. Thomas Athletics