PHOTO GALLERY BY GEOFFREY MO '19
NORTHFIELD, Minn. — The Carleton College men’s soccer team earned a 2-0 triumph over the visiting College of St. Scholastica on Wednesday in a non-conference encounter. The Knights got goals from seniors Peter Passalino (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) and Alex Griese (Melbourne, Fla./Hun School of Princeton) to improve their overall record to 5-3-2 on the year.
The Knights came out strong in the first half, pressuring the Saints (5-5-0) early. After Carleton’s back line forced a turnover in the 22nd minute of play, Danny Leal (Sr./Rice Lake, Wis./Rice Lake) sprung outside back Mark Roth (So./Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) loose on the left wing.
Roth bolted downfield before cutting it back about 10 yards out and crossing to Passalino, who stretched to volley the ball into the top of the goal. It was Passalino’s first goal of the season, and Roth’s third assist.
Carleton goalie Aidan Mullan (Jr./Iowa City, Iowa./Regina), making his second start of the year, made an acrobatic save in the 27th minute and preserve the 1-0 scoreline heading into the break.
While the first half of the affair had been physical, the second half was even more so before turning downright nasty in the waning moments. There were 20 fouls whistled in the second half, compared to only five in the first period.
The lone goal of the half came as Griese stole the ball away from St. Scholastica goalie Corrado Rosato in the 80th minute and deposited a sliding shot into the empty net to bring the score to 2-0 and alleviate the pressure on Carleton’s back line.
The game turned ugly in the 88th minute as St. Scholastica forward Shawayne Folkes struck a Carleton player in the head during preparation for a free kick. The referee did not hesitate in showing Folkes a straight red card for violent conduct, and the clock expired shortly thereafter.
Mullan and the Carleton back line registered the Knights’ fourth clean sheet this season.
The Knights, currently at 1-2-1 in conference play, are on the road this Saturday against Concordia College and will look to gain ground in the tightly-packed MIAC table.
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