Men's Soccer 10/16/07 -- Augsburg 2, Bethel 0
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ARDEN HILLS, Minn. (10/16/07) -- Kelsey Duerr (So., Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park HS) and Nick Manders * (Sr., De Pere, Wis./West De Pere HS) scored goals for Augsburg College, as the Auggies claimed a 2-0 victory over host Bethel University in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's soccer game on Tuesdasy afternoon at Ona North Field.
Augsburg goalkeeper Matt Carlson (Jr., Stillwater, Minn.) collected eight saves in goal to score his third shutout of the season, as the Auggies improved to 9-6-0 overall, 4-4-0 in MIAC play, breaking a two-game losing streak. Bethel is now 3-13-0 on the season, 0-8-0 in MIAC play.
"We got the two points we needed in ugly conditions," said Augsburg head coach Greg Holker. "Matt Carlson did well to command the box during Bethel's barrage of corner kicks. Andrew Seidel (Jr., Woodbury, Minn.) and Kelsey Duerr did well together up front, and Cassidy Duerr (Jr., Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park HS) had a steady performance at right back. He is coming along nicely off the ACL injury."
Augsburg currently stands in a four-way tie for fourth place in the MIAC standings with Macalester (4-3 MIAC), St. Olaf (4-3 MIAC) and Hamline (4-4 MIAC), as each have eight league points. Augsburg and Hamline have two league games remaining, while Macalester and St. Olaf have three league games left.
Carleton (7-0-1 MIAC, 15 points) and Gustavus (7-1-0 MIAC, 14 points) have already clinched spots in the four-team conference playoffs, while St. Thomas (5-0-2 MIAC, 12 points) sits in third place.
Augsburg outshot Bethel by a 32-15 margin in Tuesday's victory. Nick Kantor had 12 saves in goal for the Royals.
Duerr scored on a penalty kick in the 17th minute, while Manders claimed his team-high sixth goal of the season on a tally from Mac Miller (So., Rochester, Minn./Lourdes HS) off a corner kick in the 85th minute.
"Manders did what he does well -- score off a set piece, although he will tell you he wishes he had another on the night," Holker said. "Mac Miller keeps getting more confident and had helped us immensely in Alex Hildebrandt's (So., St. Paul, Minn./Highland Park HS) absence."
Seidel had seven shots for the Auggies, while Duerr and Josh Stepaniak (So., Woodbury, Minn.) had four shots apiece.
Augsburg returns to action on Sunday (10/21) at 11 a.m. with a nonconference game against California-Santa Cruz at Edor Nelson Field. Bethel returns to MIAC play next Wednesday (10/24) at 1 p.m. at Concordia-Moorhead.
"Sunday's game against Santa Cruz will be a good prep for an important week ahead," Holker said. "We know we need two wins in our two remaining conference games -- and our opponents are in the same place we are. It looks like we may get our full team healthy for next Wednesday's tilt with St. John's -- something we have been waiting for all season."
