ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Carleton College men’s soccer team came away with a crucial road victory against conference foe and nationally-ranked Macalester College on Saturday evening. Alex Griese’s (Sr./Melbourne, Fla./Hun School of Princeton) 34th-minute tally was all the Knights, who have not conceded a goal in their last 387 minutes of play, would need.
The Knights’ (7-3-3, 3-2-2 in MIAC) welcomed senior captains Kevin Doyle (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) and Riley Phelps (Bowling Green, Ky./Bowling Green) back to the lineup after both had missed multiple games due to injury.
Carleton goalkeeper Brandon Hilliard (Jr./Anoka, Minn./Totino Grace) and the Knights defense came into the matchup without surrendering a goal in their past three games and extended that streak with another solid performance. Hiliard registered four saves in notching his fourth clean sheet of the season.
To score the Carleton goal, the Knights needed three players to perfectly execute the play. Kohl Sparrman (So./Apple Valley, Minn./Rosemount) delivered a long throw into the box, and KC Onuoha (Sr./The Woodlands, Texas/The John Cooper School) outjumped a pair of Macalester (10-3-2, 4-2-1 in MIAC) defenders to head the ball forward. With a Scot on his back, Griese turned and volleyed a one-touch shot from six yards out between the Scots’ goalkeeper Zeke Vainer and the right post.
It was Griese’s second goal on the year, and Sparrman and Onuoha registered their second and first assists, respectively, on the play.
Sparrman nearly found the net himself minutes later, but his header off an Andrew Younkins (Fy./Beaverton, Ore./Westview) set piece was plucked out of the air by Vainer.
The Knights continued their strong play on the defensive end, limiting the Scots to two shots on target in each half.
With the win, Carleton moves into sixth place in the MIAC. The Knights take a break from conference play as they head to Iowa to play regionally-ranked Wartburg College at 4p.m. on Monday, Oct. 17.
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