EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) – The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's soccer was back on their home turf Thursday evening as they faced off with NCAA Division II opponents, Northern Michigan. An even matchup on the score sheet led to a low scoring game as UWEC came away victorious after a last-minute goal from Ethan Andersen (Burnsville, Minn.) off a penalty kick.
 
A hard-fought game between the two sides saw 12 shots on goal and 28 set pieces through the 90 minutes of play. As both offenses continued to chip away, neither defense broke as the teams hit the halftime mark tied at 0-0. Carter Thiesfeld (Jr. – Forest Lake, Minn.) and Nathan Donovan (Jr. – Hazel Green, Wis./Wahlert Catholic) led the team in the first half with two shots on goal each. A physical first frame also saw 11 total fouls and three yellow cards issued.
 
The second half kept the intensity and physicality of the first as both teams finished the contest with ten fouls each. The back lines for both squads continued to stay solid allowing a combined four shots on target. In the 87^th minute, a foul inside the box by Northern Michigan brought Ethan Andersen (Sr. – Burnsville, Minn.) to the PK spot for UWEC. Andersen rifled the ball to the goalkeeper's right and into the net, giving Eau Claire the 1-0 win at home.
 
Mark Belknap (Jr. – Anoka, Minn.) stopped all four shots on goal he faced to earn the shutout victory. Belknap is now 3-0-2 on the year and has two shutouts.
 
The Blugolds (7-1-2) will be back on their turf on Monday, October 2^nd as they continue their home stand against Bethel University. Kickoff from Simpson Field is scheduled for 7 p.m.