Box Score

Yellowjackets 2, Macalester College 1
Box Score


The Yellowjackets kicked off the 2012 season on a strong note, taking down the Scots from Macalester College 2-1 in what proved to be a nail-bitter.
 
Matt Elder (New Hope, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) got the start in net for the Yellowjackets.  He didn't see much action as he saw a total of two shots on goal.  The lone shot he allowed was in the 22^nd minute of the game when Will Mackaman headbutted a kick from Macalester goalkeeper Brian Carr over to Chris Kartheiser.  Kartheiser split the defense up the middle and let a shot go to put the Scots up 1-0.  "It was inevitable that they were going to score in the first half," said Yellowjacket head coach Joe Mooney.  "They out-possessed us for a big portion of the half and it was only a matter of time before they would punish us.  We made some careless mistakes that allowed them to win the ball in dangerous positions on the field, and they capitalized."  Both teams were even in the shot department at six a piece to end the first half.
 
The Yellowjackets came back with two unanswered goals in the second half. Alex Young (Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury) scored the first Yellowjacket goal when he let a shot go from 20 yards out that beat Carr on the left side to tie the game at a goal a piece.  The goal came in the 65^th minute.  Ben Kasper (Eagan, Minn./Eagan) came up big in the clutch for the Yellowjackets with over 2:00 remaining in the game when he took a shot from the right side that Carr had no chance of saving to give the Yellowjackets a 2-1 lead.  Nate Engel (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) and Alberto Rivero (Santander, Spain/) assisted on the goal.  "Kasper's goal was exciting," said Mooney.  "It was rewarding to see us finish off of some good build-up play through the midfield.  Kasper has looked good all preseason and it was fitting for him to finish the game off like that."  Playing the hero role is nothing new to Kasper.  He also put home the game-winning goal in overtime cold off the bench when the Yellowjackets defeated The College of St. Scholastica 1-0 last October 12th.
 
Carr finished the game with seven saves for Macalester College.
 
The Yellowjackets (1-0, 0-0 WIAC) return to action on Sunday (Sept. 2^nd) when they face Concordia College at Public Schools Stadium in Duluth, Minn.  Like the Scots, the Cobbers will be no push over.  "Concordia is going to be a tough test for us as well," said Mooney.  "We won't know a lot about them because they don't play their first game until tomorrow afternoon, but you have to think they will be a strong, athletic team.  We're fortunate to have the day off tomorrow so I hope the extra rest will give us a bit of an advantage going in.  We have plenty of things to improve on from today's game so we'll see if we can improve for Sunday." Game time is set for 12:00 p.m.