NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Joey Pedtke (Sr./Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) tallied his second career goal as the offense for the Carleton College men’s soccer team got on track, and the Knights posted a 5-0 victory over visiting Bethany Lutheran College.
While the Vikings came into the game ranked ninth in the nation in goals per game at 3.67, it was the Knight offense that controlled possession throughout the contest while the nationally-ranked defense recorded its fifth shutout of the campaign.
Carleton (5-1-1) had scored seven of its eight goals this season after halftime, but changed that ratio with an impressive goal scoring barrage over the first 45-minute period.
Will Corcoran (Sr./Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi) got the scoring started with a counterattack goal in the fourth minute. He ran onto a long pass through the defense from Branden McGarrity (So./Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) and his low shot under the goalkeeper ricocheted off the right post and into the net.
McGarrity scored for the third straight contest when his blast in the 18th minute. He corralled a pass from Sam Hayward (So./Stanford, Calif./Gunn) and buried a power shot into the lower left corner.
Not to be outdone, the Knights (5-1-2), All-American defender Neil Bartholomay (Sr./St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) scored not one, but two header goals over a five-minute span midway through the half. On the first, Peter Passalino (Fy./Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) chased down an errant corner kick and served the ball to the top of the six where Bartholomay headed a shot under the crossbar. In the 27th minute, Bartholomay’s diving header off a set piece extended the lead to 4-0.
Pedtke capped the scoring in the 37th minute, when his one-timer deflected off a defender and into the net. Carleton finished with an astounding 40-4 advantage in shots even though Knights head coach Bob Carlson took advantage of the situation to give all of his available players extended time on the field.
The Knights hit the road on Saturday, Sept. 28 for a 1 p.m. conference contest at Bethel University.
