BOXSCORE MINNEAPOLIS -- A goal in the 73rd minute gave St. Olaf College a 1-0 victory over host Augsburg College in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's soccer game on Wednesday evening at Edor Nelson Field.

Nick Lund (SO, Hudson, Wis.) scored the lone goal of the game for the Oles (7-5-1 overall, 3-2-1 MIAC), putting home a rebound from the left side after a shot by Torbjorn Morkeberg (SO, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS) hit the right goalpost. Claudio Barboza (FY, Maracaibo, Venezuela) also was credited with an assist on the goal.

"In the first half we should have put them away, but we failed to convert any of our chances and that gave them some momentum moving forward," said Augsburg head coach Greg Holker. "The second half was all St. Olaf. We ran out of ideas and played really direct, purposeless soccer. That created some gaps in our lines and St. Olaf exploited that in transition, which is what they have been so good at the last two seasons. When we dropped off, we allowed them to change the point of attack and pick pockets to drive into, keeping us trapped in the same vicious cycle. Statistically it was balanced, but this was really two games within one. Unfortunately for us, St. Olaf did what matters most --grabbing three points and giving themselves an edge in the playoff race with the positive head-to-head result."

St. Olaf outshot Augsburg (8-4-2 overall, 3-2-1 MIAC) by a 19-15 margin, including an 11-7 advantage in the second half. Lekpea Kordah (JR, Brooklyn Park, Minn./St. Louis Park HS) and Sherif Soud (SR, Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Eagan HS) had three shots each for the Auggies, while Tanner McCarthy (SO, Windsor Heights, Iowa/Dowling Catholic HS) had two shots.

Clayton Lynch (JR, Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Xavier HS) had six saves in goal for Augsburg, as did Harry Ullmann (SR, St. Louis Park, Minn.) for St. Olaf.

"I thought Grant Griffin (SO, Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy HS) was getting it done for us in his battle with Will Totimeh (SR, Coon Rapids, Minn./Fridley HS). We just needed to keep exploiting that," Holker said. "It almost paid off with a few minutes to go when he cut the ball back and served to Jeremy Hish (FY, Sauk City, Wis./Sauk Prairie HS), who headed into the crossbar. Moving forward, that will be the key for us -- identifying areas of the field and situations the benefit us and being disciplined enough to keep attacking there."

Augsburg returns to MIAC play on Saturday (10/13) at 1 p.m., hosting Gustavus at Edor Nelson Field.

"It does not get easier, as we host a very talented Gustavus team on Saturday. Stopping Zach Brown will be the key to that one, but we can't ignore David Lilly either," Holker said.