EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire men's soccer team got the chance to host an NCAA Tournament regional for the first time this weekend. On Friday, the Blugolds didn't let the opportunity go to waste.
The seventh-ranked Blugolds defeated Lake Forest College 5-0 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament at Simpson Field.
Noah Malcook (So. - Fitchburg, Wis./Oregon) scored a pair of goals and
Carter Thiesfeld (Sr. - Forest Lake, Minn.) added three assists as the Blugolds set a new school record for most goals scored in an NCAA Tournament game.
"It's huge for the team," Malcook said. "Scoring five goals in the first round is a huge confidence boost for us, especially taking it into the next round. It's really going to carry us."
A pair of goals off set pieces in the opening 20 minutes set the tone, and the Blugolds cruised from there. UW-Eau Claire led 3-0 at halftime.
"Our details were fantastic," Head Coach
Casey Holm said. "I thought the guys really stepped up, got after it. Two set-piece goals immediately, and we hang our hat on set pieces so (I'm) very, very proud of the guys."
Defensively, the Blugolds limited Lake Forest to four shots on target in a shutout.
"As defenders, that's kind of our goal is clean sheets," defender
Carson Kowalski (Jr. - Mundelein, Ill.) said. "I honestly would say scoring a goal is cool, but I think when a team gets a goose egg, (that's) above a goal."
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Kowalski opened the scoring in the 12th minute. He headed home a free kick into the box from Thiesfeld to put UW-Eau Claire up 1-0.
- Malcook made it 2-0 in the 19th minute. He headed in a corner kick from the foot of Thiesfeld to double the lead.
- Andrew Phillips (So. - Libertyville, Ill.) made it a three-goal lead with a goal in the 40th minute. It came off assists from Alek Laroi (So. - Grayslake, Ill./Libertyville) and Will Miers (Sr. - Columbus, Minn./Centennial).
- Malcook finished off his brace with a second goal in the 57th minute. Thiesfeld and Tate McDermott (Fr. - Grimes, Iowa/Dallas Center-Grimes) assisted.
- Porter Ball (Sr. - Minneapolis, Minn./Academy of Holy Angels) finished off the scoring in the 76th minute, lofting the ball into the top right corner of the goal after getting a foot to a rebound. Elijah Post (So. - Seattle, Wash./Ballard) got the assist.
- Spencer Banks (Sr. - Stevens Point, Wis.) made four saves across 77-plus minutes in goal.
UP NEXT
UW-Eau Claire will face Hope College in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, November 16. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at Simpson Field.
The Blugolds are seeking a second consecutive berth in the Sweet 16. They reached that round last season before falling to eventual national champion St. Olaf. Hope defeated DePauw University 2-0 in the other first-round matchup at Simpson Field on Friday.
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