PLATTEVILLE, Wis. (blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's soccer team opened 2023 NCAA Division III tournament on Saturday evening with a first-round matchup with North Central (Ill.). After a scoreless first half,
Nathan Donovan (Jr. – Hazel Green, Wis./Wahlert Catholic) tallied two goals in the second half as the Blugolds advanced to the second round with a 2-1 win over the Cardinals.
The first half lived up to the expectations of the NCAA tournament as both sides spent time trying to find ways past each other defensive lines. UW-Eau Claire found the edge offensively as they out shot North Central 9-2 and had a 2-0 shots on goal advantage. Despite the Cardinals having more corner kicks, the Blugolds kept their back line together as both teams went into halftime locked at 0-0.
In the second half, the Blugolds pressured the Cardinals from the get-go and found opportunities early. On a corner kick served in by
Carter Thiesfeld (Jr. – Forest Lake, Minn.),
Nathan Donovan found space, jumped up, and headed the ball past the North Central goalkeeper to give Eau Claire the 1-0 lead. After the opening tally, Donovan and the Blugolds kept their pressure high to keep North Central on their toes. After settling the ball in the middle,
Carter Thiesfeld played a through ball in between two Cardinal defensemen as Donovan ran into space. While sprinting, Donovan took a shot with his left foot and beat the North Central goalkeeper for the second time to put UWEC up 2-0.
With tensions running high between the two teams, a total of 30 fouls were called and three cards were issued in the 90 minutes of play. A late goal by the Cardinals cut their deficit to 2-1, but the Blugolds would hold on to the 2-1 lead and advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the second straight year.
Mark Belknap (Jr. – Anoka, Minn.) stopped five of the six shots he faced to earn his sixth win of the season and his first NCAA postseason victory. Belknap improves to 6-2-2 on the season.
The Blugolds (12-4-2) will stay in Southwestern Wisconsin for the second round of the NCAA tournament. UW-Eau Claire will faceoff with the hosts, UW-Platteville, at 7 p.m. from Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium.
