Monday's Men's Soccer Results
Friday’s Scoreboard
NC State 2, Akron 0
DePaul 1, Western Michigan 0
Green Bay 3, Northern Illinois 2
Stories Courtesy of MAC Sports Information
NC State 2, Akron 0
Box Score
AKRON, Ohio – A pair of first-half goals proved too much for the second-ranked University of Akron men's soccer team to overcome as No. 17 North Carolina State registered a 2-0 triumph past the Zips on Monday, Aug. 27, at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field.
The loss snapped Akron's national-best 18-match home unbeaten streak and served as the Zips' first setback at home since the 2016 campaign against West Virginia.
The Wolfpack garnered the victory despite being outshot on the evening, 9-3. Senior Marco Micaletto (Reading, England) directed Akron with a game-high four shots, while sophomore David Egbo (Enugu, Nigeria) added three shots. Gabriel Machado paced the visitors with a team-high two shots.
North Carolina State scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 14th minute (13:58) when Machado netted his first tally of the season. Machado drilled a ball from the center of the box approximately 10 yards out into the corner of the net after Ivy Brisma served a ball into the box from the corner for the assist.
The Zips had a solid scoring chance at the 28:18 mark as Micaletto's shot in the box off a pass from Egbo was punched away for a save by North Carolina State goalkeeper Leon Krampf to set up an Akron corner kick.
On the corner kick by freshman Colin Biros (Canton, Ohio), Egbo headed a ball off the service that went just wide of frame.
The Wolfpack extended their advantage to 2-0 in the 37th minute (36:51) as Manny Perez beat the Zips' defender on line down the corner of the box before feeding a pass back to Aidan Foster, who delivered his first goal of the season.
Egbo again had a scoring opportunity on a header at the 42:21 mark, unfortunately, the attempt went wide sending North Carolina State into the intermission with a 2-0 lead.
The Zips concluded the opening stanza owning a 6-2 margin in shots, but were outshot on goal, 2-1.
Neither side managed a shot on goal over the final 45 minutes as the Wolfpack exited FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field with a 2-0 victory.
Krampf made one save en route to completing the clean sheet for North Carolina State, while senior goalkeeper Ben Lundt (Berlin, Germany) went the distance for Akron without posting a save.
The Zips close out a season-opening three-match homestand on Saturday, Sept. 1, as Akron hosts Pittsburgh in a 7 p.m. tilt at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field. The contest will be broadcast on ESPN+.
DePaul 1, Western Michigan 0
Box Score
CHICAGO, Ill. – The No. 8/14-ranked Western Michigan men's soccer team suffered its first loss of the 2018 season at DePaul University Monday, Aug. 27, falling 1-0 versus the Blue Demons.
Despite leading 9-8 in shots, 5-2 in shots on goal, and 5-3 in corner kick opportunities, a Blue Demon goal at the 69th minute led to the first DePaul victory over Western Michigan in program history to move the all-time series to 3-1-1 in WMU's favor.
"Very disappointing result today, said head coach Chad Wiseman. "We were not discipline in our game plan and lacked leadership in key moments of the game. I give credit to DePaul for making a play when the time came about. They were a spirited, energetic team today."
Heading into the break, the Broncos had not allowed a DePaul shot as they owned a 3-0 shot advantage and 4-0 margin in corner kicks. Five yellow cards were also shown, with three handed to Western Michigan.
DePaul's backline stood strong in the final 20 minutes, limiting the Broncos to one more shot on goal as they held on to the one-goal lead. Goalkeeper Drew Nuelle earned the shutout as he tallied five saves.
The shutout loss marks the first time the Broncos were held scoreless since a 1-0 loss against No. 6 Michigan State University Oct. 4, 2017.
"Today was a major step in the wrong direction for us," Wiseman mentioned. "It doesn't get any easier with a top 10 Butler team coming to Kalamazoo on Thursday. "It's early in the season but our toughness is being questioned, we will see how the boys respond."
Western Michigan, now 1-1-0 overall, returns to WMU Soccer Complex on Thursday, Aug.30 as they host No. 9 Butler University. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.
Green Bay 3, Northern Illinois 2
Box Score
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Despite controlling the majority of the possession, the Northern Illinois University men's soccer team fell to Green Bay, 3-2, on Tuesday night at Aldo Santaga Stadium. Junior Jan Maertins (Rheinfelden, Germany/Marquette) and freshman Nick Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) scored the goals for the Huskies.
"Obviously it was very frustrating," said NIU head coach Ryan Swan. "When we looked at our scouting report on Green Bay we knew exactly what we were going to get. Ultimately, we haven't performed on some of the things we talked about and worked at. To concede goals in the manner that we did was very frustrating.
"The work rate was good from the guys, we scored a couple of nice goals, but our defending and some of our decisions in the first 30 minutes were very bad and cost us the game."
It took NIU (1-1) just six minutes to open the scoring. Sophomore Alex Welch (Carmarthen, Wales/King's College Madrid) chased a ball down at the end line and floated a cross just outside the six-yard box where Maertins collected it and fired a shot high into the net to give the Huskies the early lead.
Ten minutes later it was Maertins threatening the Green Bay goal again as he received a pass from senior Kevin Rodriguez (Pasadena, Texas/Deer Park), skipped past a Phoenix defender and unleashed a shot toward the near post that was pushed away for a corner by Green Bay goalkeeper Jamison Yoder.
Green Bay (1-0-1) levelled the match in the 20th minute on a goal by Abrahm Hill. Off a Phoenix corner, the initial chance was blocked and the Huskies had a chance to clear, but the clearing attempt was deflected to Hill who volleyed a shot past NIU goalkeeper Christoph Köninger (Achern, Germany/Gymnasium Achern) from close range to even the match.
Just 15 seconds later, Green Bay was in front on a goal from Karim Lauba. A miscommunication in the back by the Huskies gave Lauba the chance to collect the ball inside the 18 and calmly finish underneath Köninger to give the Phoenix a 2-1 advantage.
Green Bay added a third goal against the run of play in the 37th minute. Bernard Assibeyrhule beat Köninger in a foot race to a ball on the edge of the 18-yard box as the Huskie goalkeeper came off his line but Assibeyrhule got there first and chipped the ball over Köninger to put the Phoenix in front, 3-1.
NIU answered right back as just 23 seconds later Nick Markanich scored his second goal in as many games. Nick Markanich played a one-two with his brother Anthony Markanich (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) before blasting a shot from a tight angle past Yoder to trim the Phoenix lead to 3-2 heading into halftime.
Just six minutes after the break, lightning in the area caused the match to be delayed for approximately 30 minutes.
When play resumed, it was the Huskies creating all the chances. In the 61st minute, sophomore Lawrence Kwazema (Burnsville, Minn./The International School of Minnesota) had an outstanding chance to even the match but Yoder made an outstanding save to keep the Phoenix in front.
In the 71st minute, Anthony Markanich sent a cross into the box toward Maertins who was just a little off-balance and couldn't direct his header on goal.
NIU continued to have nearly all of the ball in the final 20 minutes but was unable to find an equalizing goal as Green Bay claimed the 3-2 victory.
Köninger was credited with two saves for the Huskies while Yoder was credited with eight saves for the Phoenix.
NIU will return to action this weekend as it travels to Edinburg, Texas, to face Houston Baptist (Friday, Aug. 31) and Texas Rio Grande Valley (Sunday, Sept. 2).
