Mustang
SOCCER SATURDAY, OCT. 9 A set of back-to-back home matches starts this afternoon for Morningside University. Dordt University takes a short southeastern trek to Elwood Olsen for Great Plains Athletic Conference play. Head coach Tom Maxon’s Mustangs are coming off a pair of nip-and-tuck outings at Concordia University mid-week. The Defenders, led by women’s head coach Alex Durbin and men’s head coach Ryan Gresse, split Wednesday’s matches with Mount Marty University.
THE SERIES Dating back through 2012, Mside’s women have won eight of the last 10, part of a 13-11 all-time lead. Maxon’s men have a nearly similar trend against DU, with seven victories in the previous nine meetings. The Mustangs are 17-6 alltime against Dordt.
THE MATCH-UP Senior midfielder Moritz Lusch has been on a tear of late. He’s registered at least one goal in three straight matches, which has rocketed him into the squad lead (eight). Fellow senior midfielder Noah Aniser has been a demanding customer for opposing defenses in recent matches, too, posting three goals in his previous two outings as part of six for the season. Looking further into the Mustangs, who are at the statistical head of the class, sophomore midfielder/forward Victor Beker (seven assists and two game-winning scores), Lusch (22 points), and junior forward Robin Thomala (32 shots) lead the way for the offense. Junior goalkeeper Bjarne Huth has held down the lion’s share of the defensive numbers with seven victories, two shutouts, 47 saves, and a 1.76 goals-against average. A remarkable underclasswoman story tells the tale for the Mside offense. All but two of Morningside’s goals have been tabulated by either freshmen or sophomores, with freshman midfielder Nathalie Larsson’s five at the top. She is also the points (11) and shots (30) leader, while fellow newcomer Ebba Torgner, a forward, is first in assists (four). Senior netminder Sarah Finn has produced six wins, 36 saves, and a 1.28 goals-against average to guide the defense. Embroiled in a wide-open, back-and-forth contest for the full 90 minutes at Concordia University’s Bulldog Stadium on Oct. 6, Morningside’s men managed a pair of crucial second-half scores to earn a 3-2 victory. Adding to a modest two-match win streak were scores from sophomore forward Gero Zarbo, Aniser, and Lusch that staved off an aggressive home side scheme that produced 23 total shots and ten attempts on frame that led to two goals. Huth stood tall in the volley fire. He recorded eight saves, tying a personal match-high
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