MINNEAPOLIS -- Nick Zuchowski (JR, Wales, Wis./Kettle Moraine HS) scored on a penalty kick in the 20th minute, and Varney Conneh (FY, Anoka, Minn./Champlin Park HS) scored five minutes later, as the Augsburg University men's soccer team closed its truncated 2020-21 spring season with an impressive 2-0 victory over the previously unbeaten University of Wisconsin-Superior on Saturday afternoon.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 2, Wisconsin-Superior 0
LOCATION: Edor Nelson Field, Minneapolis
RECORDS: Augsburg 1-3-0 overall, UW-Superior 7-1-0 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Auggies struck first at the 19:31 mark, as Jessie Juarez (FY, Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee HS) was fouled inside the penalty box, earning the Auggies a penalty kick. Zuchowski converted for his second goal of the season.
• Augsburg took a 2-0 lead at the 24:12 mark, as Conneh scored his first goal of the season, putting home a loose ball in front off a Juarez corner kick.
• The Auggies played a truly complete game in earning the win, dominating possession and protecting its defensive half of the field. Augsburg held a 58-to-42-percent advantage in possession time in the game, while outshooting UW-Superior by a 15-7 margin.
• The Auggie backfield of Drew Collins (SO, Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS), Peter Munkittrick (FY, Westfield, N.J./St. Peter's Prep HS), Spencer Enright (SO, St. Louis Park, Minn./St. Louis Park HS) and Marco Corona-Duran (JR, Fridley, Minn./Spring Lake Park HS) protected goalkeeper Oscar Herrera (FY, Madison, Wis./Madison West HS), who needed to make just one save to earn his first collegiate shutout.
• Tomas Piza-Gonzalez (FY, Minneapolis, Minn./Hiawatha Collegiate HS) and Zuchowski had four shots each for Augsburg, while Helio De La Torre (SO, Oakdale, Minn./Mahtomedi HS) had two shots.

FOR THE FOES
• Brandon Conklin had three shots for UW-Superior, while Blake Perry had two shots.
• Ulrik Lager had four saves in goal for the Yellowjackets.

QUOTES FROM AUGSBURG COACH GREG HOLKER
• "This was a fantastic way to end the year for us. The guys have put in a ton of work and have grown so much, and you could see it in our quality today. We found goals from two dead balls today, but more important was our performance around our own goal. We closed every opening quickly and really committed to protecting the goal en route to a clean sheet."
• "We know that when we score first, we are really hard to beat (134-12-7 since 2004) and that was a psychological boost for us. We could have put more away, but those moments came from really good build up and variety, and that's what we will lift up today."
• "I thought the two Peters (Munkittrick and Kraus) were outstanding. We started five first-year players all spring, and these two showed such incredible progress and personal maturity. Munk was so steady with and without the ball, and Kraus was a threat in the attack and understood when to pull it back at the right moments. These two should be applauded. Certainly Tomas has been the star of the spring with his 1-v-1 ability and incredible balance and speed, and today was no different, even if it wasn't his best game. Oscar looked so much more confident in goal and is so vital in our buildup. I am really impressed with his growth and can't wait to see what he looks like in August after a few more months of work. Then we have Juarez -- he's just so technical and clean on the ball and can get out of any jam. He drew the penalty after Z's pressure turned over the UWS back. To end the spring with that moment and an assist on Varney's goal was fitting. Of course, Varney is also a rookie and scored his first goal. He has come far this year with more room to go, but he has something that can't be coached and is a real threat against any back line."
• "Finally, I want to honor Simon Redstone on his last day with our team. He has embodied our program values over the course of his career every single day. He has fought for the right things, he has sacrificed for others, he has bounced back from setbacks, and he has modeled how we would expect all our players to train and prepare. It's so fun seeing him mature through this process, and I am excited to watch his blossoming film career as he moves on."