Yellowjackets 4, Saint Mary's 3
SUPERIOR, Wis.: Quick turnarounds are part of life in sports, and the Yellowjacket men's soccer team had to deal with that Sunday. Following a 4-1 win over U.M.A.C. foe Bethany Lutheran Saturday, the Yellowjackets were back at it Sunday, hosting Saint Mary's in a matinee at the N.B.C. Spartan Sports Complex.
And it took a while, but the Yellowjackets eventually got the train moving in the right direction, coming from behind then holding on to gut out a 4-3 victory.
With the win, the Yellowjackets have now won five straight matches and are unbeaten in their past ten (9-0-1).
As good as the win was for the Yellowjackets, the beginning of the match was anything but, as it was the Cardinals who got off to the start they wanted on the road. Kyle Lichttenegger got the scoring started early, finding the back of the net just 1:52 into the match to make it 1-0. The Cardinals added a second goal, when Cole Van Houten scored on what appeared to be a miscommunication by the Yellowjacket defense in the 39th minute to make it 2-0.
It has been quite some time since the Yellowjackets have trailed by multiple goals in a match, as you have to go all the way back to the second match of the year when they lost to Luther 2-0, but the team responded to the adversity in a big way.
Leonardo Paredes (Uberlandia, Brazil/Colegio Sao Paschoall) got the Yellowjackets on the board, blocking an attempt and then putting the ball past Saint Mary's goalkeeper Alberto Centeno at 40:57 to cut the Cardinal lead in half. The goal celebration was tempered by a scary incident, however, when Centeno and teammate Robbie Sobczak collided violently in the box as the goal was being scored. Both players stayed down for several minutes while receiving medical attention, and neither returned to action on this day.
As a result of the injury, Michael Maniak replaced Centeno and received a rude welcome. Just 21 seconds after the Paredes goal the Yellowjackets tied it, with
Blake Perry (Anoka, Minn./Anoka) scoring his first of the match, banking a shot from the right side in off a defender to make a 2-2 game.
The Yellowjackets took the lead for good early in the second half when team scoring leader
James Bruce (Gladstone, Mich./Gladstone) did what he's been doing a lot lately, and that's getting in tight and scoring goals. Bruce completed a scoring play in the box that started off a free kick from
Elliot Chapman (Lancaster, England/Ripley St. Thomas) to give the Yellowjackets a 3-2 advantage at 50:02. For Bruce it was his 10th goal of the year, and the junior forward has now scored goals in six of the last seven matches.
Just over five minutes later the Yellowjackets got the eventual game-winning goal on the prettiest play of the day. Bruce started the play, carrying the ball up the right side before threading a pass to the middle for
Eric Watson (Thunder Bay, Ontario/Hammarskjold). Watson tipped a pass to the left for Perry, and the freshman made no mistake, putting home his second of the match and fifth of the year to give the Yellowjackets a two-goal lead.
Saint Mary's got one of those goals back in the 77th minute on a goal by R.J. Vazquez, but that's as close as they would get as the Yellowjackets held on for the win.
The Yellowjackets outshot Saint Mary's 26-16 and had an edge of 10-7 in shots on goal. Perry had five shots and Bruce four to lead the way for the Yellowjackets.
Dalton VonKaenel (Eagan, Minn./Eagan H.S.) got the start in goal and made four saves, improving his record to 7-1-1 on the year.
Up Next: The Yellowjackets (9-2-1, 4-0-1 U.M.A.C.) continue in non-conference play when they travel to Hamline Wednesday, October 3. The match is set to get underway at 4:00 p.m.
