NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The third-ranked St. Olaf College men's soccer team scored twice in the span of just over six minutes midway through the second half on its way to a 3-1 season-opening win over Central College on Tuesday afternoon at Rolf Mellby Field.
After the teams traded goals a little over two minutes apart in the first half, St. Olaf (1-0-0) got second-half goals from sophomore
Daniel Fuentes and junior
Lucas Montera in the second half to get past Central (0-1-0). The Oles, who were ranked No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll in early August, have won each of the last five meetings with the Dutch since 2006 after Central won the first head-to-head meeting in 2005.
St. Olaf recorded four shots in the opening eight minutes, but Central scored against the run of play in the 16th minute to open the scoring. Nick DeVoss started the move by finding Anthony Davis wide on the left. Davis sent a first-time ball over the top to Isaiah Guyton, who lofted the ball over junior
Beckett Carlson and into the net to give the Dutch the lead. Guyton's goal was just the second for Central in its last five games against St. Olaf.
Central's lead lasted barely two minutes, however, as the Oles evened the game on an own goal by the Dutch in the 19th minute. Senior
Ryan Bechtel swung a cross into the box from the right that a Central defender tried to cut out but steered inside the far post for the tying goal.
With the game still tied at 1-1, Fuentes broke the tie in the 63rd minute in his debut for St. Olaf with what proved to be the game-winning goal. Sophomore
Tustin Todd crossed the ball into the box from the left and, after the ball initially eluded Fuentes, the sophomore lofted the ball in from close range.
Just over six minutes later, Montera doubled the Oles' lead by scoring after sophomore
Jay Carroll's close-range shot was saved and the rebound fell to Montera. The goal was the third of Montera's collegiate career.
After holding a 9-5 edge in shots in the opening half, St. Olaf took 13 of the game's 16 shots after the break to finish with a 22-9 advantage. Shots on goal were 9-3 in favor of the Oles, who also had 11 of the afternoon's 13 corner kicks. Morgan Finkenbinder made six saves for Central, while Carlson had two in the win for St. Olaf.
The Oles will hit the road for their final two matches of the opening week of the season, starting with a trip to the University of Chicago for a 1 p.m. start on Friday, Sept. 4.
