BOXSCORE MORRIS, Minn. -- Edi Becerra (JR, Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Minneapolis Southwest HS) scored the game's lone goal in the 22nd minute, lifting the Augsburg College men's soccer team to a 1-0 win over the host University of Minnesota-Morris in a nonconference men's soccer game on Sunday afternoon at Cougar Field.

Becerra scored his first collegiate goal on a shot off an attempted clearance at the 21:39 mark for Augsburg (4-1-1 overall), the No. 23-ranked team in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division III national rankings.

"Our goal was fantastic -- much like the game-winner last year at Superior, it was a throw in on the left flank and service to the back post from Danny Osip (SR, Minneapolis, Minn./South HS)," said Augsburg head coach Greg Holker. "Charlie Leslie (SO, Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS) got on the end of the cross and sent it back across the goal mouth. Scott Clinton (JR, Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS) hit the first chance into the defender and it fell out to Edi, where he made no mistake for his first collegiate goal."

In all, 20 Auggies played in Sunday's contest, including two goalkeepers making their first appearances of the season -- Andre Fiskum (FY, Kopervik, Norway/Holgersens VGS) and Nick Lenertz (FY, Newport, Minn./Park HS). Both recorded one save in goal, as Augsburg outshot Minnesota-Morris (1-5-0 overall) by a 14-7 margin. Matthew Yost had six saves in goal for Minnesota-Morris.

"The conditions were difficult, as the field was muddy and soaked from yesterday's rainfall and games. It was one of those games that we did enough to get the win, and that's that," Holker said. "We used this as a chance to get some younger players some more experience and they did very well. It was our first clean sheet of the season, and that was important for us to achieve."

Augsburg opens its Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference season on Wednesday (9/18) at 7 p.m., traveling to Winona, Minn., to face Saint Mary's University.

"Now the real season begins," Holker said. "Saint Mary's is off to a great start this year, outscoring their opponents 16-2 with three shutouts. They are going to be a difficult first test, and we will have to be extra sharp to get the three points."