NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- Seniors Stephen Johnson (Edina, Minn./Edina), Branden McGarrity (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South), and John Imon Pedtke (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) accounted for four goals as the Carleton College men’s soccer team finished the regular season with a 5-1 triumph over visiting Saint Mary’s University.
With the victory, Carleton (9-5-4 overall, 6-2-2 MIAC) secured the third seed in next week’s MIAC Playoffs and will host University of St. Thomas in the quarterfinals on Tue., Nov. 3 at 2 p.m.
Saturday’s contest marked the final regular-season game for the 10 seniors on the roster, and they made the most of their salute as the group finished with four goals and four assists.
Johnson got the scoring started in the sixth minute, cleaning up a rebound opportunity. Two minutes later McGarrity notched his fifth goal of the campaign, heading home a service from classmate Sam Hayward (Stanford, Calif./Gunn).
In the 16th minute, Saint Mary’s (5-9-3, 0-7-3 MIAC) cut the deficit in half, but the senior class came up with another tally before halftime. John Fox (Sr./Duluth, Minn./Marshall) ripped a shot from the top left corner of the penalty area, and Pedtke scooped up the rebound and finished a tough, low-angle shot in the 38th minute.
The score remained 3-1 until the 76th minute when some nifty passing by Fox and Danny Leal (Jr./Rice Lake, Wis./Rice Lake) led to Pedtke’s open shot from the edge of the six-yard box.
Kohl Sparrman (Fy./Apple Valley, Minn./Rosemount) scored the day’s final goal in the 88th minute when he collected a rebound from a Charles Slocum (Jr./South Pasadena, Calif./South Pasadena) rocket and slotted the ball into the top of the net.
Carleton will host St. Thomas in the opening round of the MIAC Playoffs for the second consecutive year. Knights Online will once again have live video and live stats.
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