DUBUQUE, Iowa – The University of Dubuque men's soccer team continued its winning streak on Saturday, defeating the Saint Mary's Cardinals, 2-1. The victory marked the Spartans third consecutive win.
Both teams started the game slowly, looking to establish possession and control the pace of play. The Spartans came close to opening the scoring on three corner kicks, which produced their best chances of the opening 25 minutes. In the 32 minute, the Cardinals found the back of the net to take a 1-0 lead. The Spartans responded by pushing forward in search of an equalizer before halftime. At 41:14, Dubuque earned a free-kick opportunity just outside the penalty area.
Luka Tomic stepped up and delivered a perfectly placed shot over the wall and into the back of the net to level the game at 1-1. The Spartans continued to attack in the closing minutes of the half but were unable to find a second goal before the break.
After halftime, the Cardinals focused on defending after going down a player late in the first half. The Spartans looked to take advantage of the extra player and continued to apply pressure. Just 10 minutes into the second half, at 55:16,
Andre Elinoff picked up the ball near midfield and dribbled past two Cardinals defenders before calmly placing his shot into the far corner of the net to give the Spartans a 2-1 lead. After taking the lead, the Spartans continued to take advantage of the extra player, maintaining possession and controlling the pace of the game. The UD defense remained organized and limited the Cardinals' scoring opportunities throughout the half. The Spartans continued to control the match and held on to secure the 2-1 victory at the final whistle, extending their winning streak to three consecutive games.
Leading the way for the Spartans were
Luka Tomic and
Andre Elinoff, who each recorded a goal in the victory. In goal,
Riley Johnson made three saves to help the Spartans secure the 2-1 victory.
Up Next
The Spartans will hit the road on Tuesday, September 15, traveling to Whitewater, Wis., to face UW-Whitewater. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Robert Fiskum Field.
