DULUTH, Minn. – The No. 15-ranked Carleton College men’s soccer team settled for a draw with the College of St. Scholastica after neither team tallied a goal through two halves and a pair of overtime periods. Carleton goalkeeper James Neher (Sr./Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi) registered four saves in posting his second shutout of the season and lowering his goals against average to 0.29.
While the play was physical from the onset, with the teams combining for 38 fouls during the match, solid scoring chances proved elusive for much of the match.
Carleton’s (2-0-1) best opportunity of the first half came in the 36th minute when Neil Bartholomay’s (Sr./St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) header of a corner kick required a solid save by the Saints’ Adam Hewitt.
Less than 90 seconds into the second half, Ben Walsh (Sr./New Canaan, Conn./St. Paul's School) rattled the crossbar with a header of another corner kick, but the match remained scoreless.
The Saints (1-1-2) paced all NCAA squads in goals scored last year, but for the second straight year were unable to score against a staunch Carleton defense that prevented St. Scholastica from even attempting a shot over the final 30 minutes of regulation.
Like the first 90 minutes, overtime did not provide many chances to determine a winner. The Knights had the lone attempt of the first extra period, while during the second overtime, St. Scholastica had a pair of shots sail wide before another Bartholomay header was stopped by Hewitt.
Carleton returns home to Bell Field for its home opener on Wednesday, Sept. 11 versus regionally-ranked Wartburg College. Live video of the 4 p.m. match will be available via Knights Online.
