NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College men's soccer team had a dominant homecoming performance, defeating Saint Mary's University by a 4-1 tally.
Charlie Hall (So./LaGrange Ill./Lyons Township) led the way for the home team, scoring the game-winning goal and adding on an assist.
The Knights (10-2-1, 3-1-1 MIAC) had just as many shots as the Cardinals (5-8-0, 2-4-0 MIAC), 14 apiece, but the visitors settled for long-range efforts while Carleton was constantly a threat within the box. With the victory, the Knights improved to 7-0-1 at Bell Field this season.
Justin Crawmer (Fy./Urbandale, Iowa/Waukee) got the scoring started in the third minute when he headed home a beautiful cross from fellow first-year
Eli Venetis (New York, N.Y./Collegiate School).
In the 21st minute, Josh Balsinger equalized for Saint Mary's with a long-range, knuckling shot that nestled into the top left corner of the goal.
Not long after, Hall regained the Knights' lead for good. In the 25th minute, he dribbled the ball past three Cardinals players as if he had the ball on a string before coolly finishing around the keeper.
Carleton added two more goals in the second half, the first coming in the 65th minute off an
Alvin Bierley (Jr./San Jose, Calif./Leland) pass to
Marco da Cunha (So./San Francisco, Calif./San Francisco University) in the box. Da Cunha controlled the delivery with his chest before rifling a shot into the net. The goal was his sixth of the season and gave da Cunha a share of the team lead… for the next 19 minutes.
In the 84th minute
Tonny Aton (So./Nairobi, Kenya/Lukenya) broke his deadlock with da Cunha and scored his seventh goal for the year. Aton ran onto a perfectly weighted through ball into the box from Hall and curled a shot around the goalie into the bottom left corner of the net.
Aaron Forman (Jr./Los Angeles, Calif./Windward School) earned the victory in goal for the Knights, finishing the afternoon with four saves.
UP NEXT FOR THE KNIGHTS: Carleton will look to avenge its lone loss in MIAC play from last season when the Knights travel to St. Peter, Minn. to take Gustavus Adolphus College at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19. This will be the first half of a doubleheader, with the women's teams slated for a 3:30 p.m. start.
