SUPERIOR, Wis. – During the spring 2021 season, the Yellowjacket men's soccer team ran away with the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference regular season and playoff titles, fashioning an 11-1-0 record along the way. The one defeat? That came at the hands of Augsburg University in a non-conference road match April 24.
 
Wednesday evening, the Yellowjackets opened the 2021 fall campaign, playing host to the same Augsburg team that provided their only blemish in the spring.

The teams settled nothing through 90 minutes of regulation play, but Augsburg put an end to things early in the overtime, scoring less than a minute in to defeat the Yellowjackets 2-1 at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex.
 
Early on the teams went back and forth, and as the half wore on the physical play picked up. It remained scoreless until late, when Augsburg capitalized on a Yellowjacket turnover to make it 1-0. Helio De La Torre took possession on the left wing and sent a hard kick past Yellowjacket goaltender Payton Anderson (Red Wing, Minn./Red Wing) with 5:39 to play in the half.
 
The Yellowjackets found some offensive rhythm in the second half and just past the midpoint got the equalizer. Superior native Brandon Conklin (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) tied the match 1-1, getting a ball in tight off a free kick and sending home his first goal of the year.

Each team had pushes as the minutes in the second half ticked down, but neither pulled ahead and the match went to overtime. Then, just 49 seconds in, Kobby Owu scored from the left side of the box, giving the Auggies the 2-1 victory.
 
Augsburg outshot the Yellowjackets in the match, and had a 7-2 edge in shots on goal. Anderson finished the match with five saves. At the other end Oscar Herrera had one save for the Auggies.
 
The Yellowjackets (0-1-0, 0-0-0 UMAC) return to action Saturday when they host Concordia College. The opening kickoff is scheduled for noon at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex.