Men's Soccer 10/31/08 -- Augsburg 4, Macalester 0
GAME BOXSCORE | AUGSBURG SEASON STATISTICS
YOUTUBE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS -- CLICK HERE
MINNEAPOLIS (10/31/08) -- #D.J. Wendell# (JR, Princeton, Minn./Charles M. Russell (Mont.) HS) scored two first-half goals, and Pascaul Venter (JR, Rochester, Minn./John Marshall HS) collected three saves in goal in recording his sixth shutout of the season and school-record 19th of his career, as Augsburg College broke a 26-season winless streak to Macalester College in men's soccer, with a 4-0 triumph in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's soccer game on Friday night at Augsburg's Edor Nelson Field.
Augsburg (10-3-5 overall, 7-2-1 MIAC) built a 3-0 first-half lead en route to the victory over Macalester (9-8-1 overall, 4-5-1 MIAC). Augsburg claimed its first win over Macalester since winning twice over the Scots in the 1982 season.
Augsburg finished the regular season with a double-digit overall win total for the second time in the last three years -- and just the second time since 1980 -- and claimed its most victories and points in MIAC play since 1980, its last conference title season (11-1-3 overall, 9-0-3 MIAC, 21 league points).
The Auggies will advance to the four-team MIAC postseason playoffs for the second time in the last three seasons. Augsburg will play in a playoff semifinal game on Tuesday (11/4) against an opponent to be determined. Augsburg currently has 15 league points, tied with Carleton (14-1-2 overall, 7-1-1 MIAC) for the league lead. Gustavus (12-4-1 overall, 7-2-0 MIAC, 14 points) and St. Thomas (12-4-1 overall, 6-2-1 MIAC, 13 points) have also clinched berths in the postseason playoffs, and all complete their regular seasons on Saturday (11/1) at 1 p.m. -- Carleton hosts St. Olaf, and St. Thomas plays at Gustavus.
"As a group, we are committed to getting forward and scoring -- it just hasn't been going in for us. We knew it was a matter of time," said Augsburg head coach Greg Holker. "This is not to say we are satisfied, though. We are just beginning to reach our potential. We have much work to do and a limited time to do it, but we will be ready for Tuesday's MIAC semifinal."
Wendell scored on a feed from Van Hong (SO, St. Louis Park, Minn.), fighting off a defender and putting a shot across the goal crease in the ninth minute. In the 26th minute, Wendell scored his team-beset 12th goal of the season on a rebound off a header by Alex Hildebrandt (JR, St. Paul, Minn./Highland Park HS) following a corner kick by Andrew Seidel (SR, Woodbury, Minn.).
"D.J. Wendell got back on the scoreboard and worked hard off the ball, especially on the defensive end," Holker said. "Andy Seidel served some great balls into the box. His corner kicks were especially dangerous. James See (SR, Richfield, Minn./Holy Angels HS) was a treat to watch tonight. Fittingly, he was our best player in his last home game."
Marc Jacob (SO, Maple Grove, Minn.) scored on a floater over the goalkeeper's head from Marcus Elmerskog (FY, Trondheim, Norway) in the 43rd minute, and Hildebrandt completed the scoring for the Auggies with his fourth goal of the year, coming on a penalty kick in the 75th minute.
Augsburg outshot Macalester by a 21-12 margin, including a 13-5 edge in the first half. Matt Weyer (FY, Cedarburg, Wis.) started in goal for Macalester and collected three saves in the first half. Mark Mullaney (SO, Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) had four saves in relief in the second half. Venter claimed his sixth shutout of the season and school-record 19th of his career.
"Pascaul looked sharp. He was clearly in control back there," Holker said.
