NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College men's soccer team won its home opener, registering a 4-1 triumph over Simpson College. Owen Flanagan (Fy./San Francisco, Calif./San Francisco University) scored twice, finding the back of the net in each half for the Knights.
 
Tonny Aton (Sr./Nairobi, Kenya/Lukenya) got the scoring started for the home team—which was playing at Bell Field for the first time in 674 days—in the 11th minute. He collected a pass from Charlie Hall (Sr./La Grange, Ill./Lyons Township) at the top of the 6-yard box and finished underneath the charging goalkeeper.
 
Carleton (2-0-1) doubled the advantage in the 33rd minute when Flanagan scored with a low-angle rocket between the keeper and the near post.
 
Simpson (2-1-0) came out and tried to pressure the Knights in the second half, but Carleton used that to its advantage in the 65th minute, padding the margin with Flanagan's second tally of the day. Blake Jones (Fy./Urbandale Iowa/Waukee) won a 50-50 ball over the top of the Storm defense and slotted a pass across the mouth of the goal to an unmarked Flanagan for a tap-in at the far post.
 
Simpson cut into the deficit moments later when Baraka Ellie converted a beautiful free kick goal, bending his shot up over the wall and tucking it under the crossbar in the upper left corner.
 
Marco da Cunha (Sr./San Francisco, Calif./San Francisco University) sealed the Carleton victory in the 85th minute, registering his 20th career goal by beating the goalkeeper to the near post with a sliding shot at the edge of the 6-yard box.
 
Elliot Hanson (Jr./Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) made his first collegiate start in goal for Carleton and picked up the win with five saves.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton hosts Wartburg College for a scheduled 1:00 p.m. affair on Saturday, Sept. 11.