BOXSCORE MINNEAPOLIS -- An "own goal" in the 73rd minute gave visiting Saint John's University a 1-0 victory over Augsburg College in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's soccer contest on Saturday evening at Edor Nelson Field.

The lone goal of the game came on a scramble in front of the net following a free kick clearance. The ball was served into the six-yard box, and on a battle between a Johnnie and Auggie, the ball was poked into the goal by the Augsburg defender.

The contest was an evenly matched and physical affair, with Augsburg claiming 11 shots and Saint John's nine. Augsburg had three corner kicks in the first half, while the Johnnies had two in the second half.

"This was a good MIAC game. Both teams put out a great effort and both teams had the game for periods of time. In the end, we conceded too many free kicks inside 30 yards and they finally got one past us," said Augsburg coach Greg Holker. "In the first half, I thought we bossed the game very well. We were on the ball and were patient in possession and carved up a few chances -- but really Saint John's did a good job of keeping bodies between the ball and the goal and made it difficult to get the final piece completed. 

"As it wore on, it opened up a bit and that favored them, Holker added. "After the goal, we tried to get back in the game but Saint John's did a great job of breaking it up and making us rebuild, and they made good substitutions to kill if off. Overall, hats off to them for getting very valuable points."

Clayton Lynch (SR, Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Xavier HS) had four saves in goal for Augsburg, while Kevin Lebahn (SO, New Hope, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's HS) had two saves for Saint John's.

Augsburg's Ben Henry (FY, Manitowoc, Wis./Lincoln HS) had four shots in the game, while Grant Griffin (JR, Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy HS) and Lekpea Kordah (SR, Brooklyn Park, Minn./St. Louis Park HS) had two shots each. Zane Heinselman (JR, River Falls, Wis.) had three shots for the Johnnies, while Alex Neiderloh (SO, Maple Grove, Minn.) had two shots.

Augsburg remains in the hunt for a spot in the four-team MIAC postseason playoffs, but will face three teams also in the hunt for a playoff berth in its final three games of the regular season. Augsburg will travel to St. Peter, Minn., to face league-leader Gustavus next Saturday (10/26) at 1 p.m.

"Michael Coborn and David Lilly, who we face next for Gustavus, are tops in the league when on a dead ball. We need to make sure not to foul as much in transition next weekend as we did tonight," Holker said. "I feel good about the effort we put into the match and I know we are improving every day. Next weekend will pose a significant challenge as we face the top team in the league. This is such a strong league and the difference in teams is so tight, you can't help but enjoy the stress of it."