Facundo Dipascuale provided two of CU's three goals on Saturday.
Cavs Upend No. 16-Ranked Holy Names 3-0
STATS
DUBLIN, Calif.—In a matchup of two teams ranked in the NAIA Top 25, the Concordia men’s soccer team breezed past Holy Names, winning 3-0 Saturday.
With the result, No. 21-ranked Concordia improved to 3-0 on the season while No. 16 Holy Names fell to 0-2.
“Holy Names is a very talented side,” said CU Head Coach Dan Birkey. “Our boys were committed to defensive organization and getting numbers behind the ball.”
The Cavaliers used an offensive surge in the middle of the first half to take an early 2-0 lead over the No. 16-ranked Holy Names Hawks. CU’s first goal came in the 18th minute of the game when senior midfielder Facundo Dipascuale put in a goal off an assist from sophomore forward Septi Danciu. Only three minutes later, in the 21st minute, Danciu was rewarded for his previous generosity with a goal of his own off a touch from freshman midfielder Tanner Williams after another typically deep throw in from sophomore defender Tanner French.
In spite of the 2-0 lead, however, Holy Names had already put four shots up, two of which were on goal, and continued to threaten later in the first half. Not long after Concordia put in their second goal, the Hawks had their best chance to score when, in the 25th minute, freshman midfielder Thomas Michael put up a shot that just missed finding the net, bouncing off the post instead.
“To be fair to HNU, they had several chances, but were denied by the posts,” said Birkey. “Getting the first goal of the game is especially advantageous on the road, and Facundo stood out today. His great composure and shot selection made a real difference for us. Septi added a huge goal at an important time in the game, midway before the half.”
Late in the first half, Holy Names put up two more shots on goal from freshman defender Matias Torres and sophomore midfielder Martin Meastratti, but Concordia junior keeper Humberto Soriano saved both. Holy Names actually put more shots on goal than the Cavs (4-3) in the first half, but still went into the break down 2-0 thanks to four saves from Soriano.
Soriano’s strong defense continued in the second half with two more saves for a total of six on the day. The Cavalier defenders in front of Soriano also tightened up in the second half, limiting the Hawks to only six shots in the second half after they had nine in the first.
Meanwhile, Cavs senior Dipascuale decided one goal wasn’t enough for him and put in another in the 65th minute to give the game its final score.
Overall, Concordia edged out Holy Names in shots (16-15) and corners (5-3). Not surprisingly, the Cavaliers finished the game with a big advantage in saves (6-2), thanks largely to the defense of Soriano.
Soriano helped CU record his third shutout of the season as the Cavs have outscored their opponents 8-0 so far. A transfer before the season, Soriano has still not let anyone score on him in a Concordia uniform.
“We have been pleased with the way the boys have come together thus far,” said Birkey. “The work rate has been top class, and they seem to be enjoying the challenge of this early schedule.”
CU next plays at Humboldt State University on Monday, September 5 at 2 p.m, while the Hawks next face Biola University on September 9