ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn.- The Crown Men's Soccer team is off to a blistering hot start in UMAC play in 2024. The Polars have played two conference games this fall and have not allowed a goal. After shutting out Northland earlier in the week, Crown shut out Northwestern in a 3-0 victory on Saturday. The Polars are 2-0 in UMAC competition.
Sticking with the "blistering hot" theme, it was a blistering hot day at Old National Bank Stadium on Saturday. Despite the late-September heat wave, the Polars defeated the elements as well as the Eagles to celebrate Homecoming Saturday with a decisive three goal victory.
The Polars' performance in the first half can only be described with one word: artistic. Crown scored a pair of goals in the opening 45 minutes and both of them were worthy of landing on a highlight reel. The scoring started in the 15
th minute when
Jose Lovera delivered a high arcing ball into the box from the right side. When the ball finally dropped out of the air, it landed on
Timmy Jackson's head. Jackson's header found the back of the net and Crown had an early 1-0 lead.
In the 43
rd minute, with halftime looming, Crown's
Sebastian Bocanegra came up to take a corner kick from the left side. Players from both teams came up into the box and prepared to get a piece of it to either score a goal or clear the ball out of the box. It didn't matter. Nobody from either side had a chance to touch the ball because Bocanegra bent the ball into the net off of the corner kick. Crown led 2-0.
In the first half, Northwestern outshot Crown 7-4. However, the Polars defense did not allow the Eagles to get high quality looks at the net. None of the Eagles' shots in the first half were on target while the Polars had three shots on goal in the opening frame.
Crown controlled the game in the second half and never gave the visitors a chance to cut into the lead. The Polars outshot the Eagles 8-5 in the second half. Crown had four shots on goal in the second half compared to Northwestern's two.
Leo Roque got the start between the pipes for Crown and picked up the clean sheet by making two saves and not allowing a goal.
In the 63
rd minute,
Timmy Jackson extended the Polars' lead with his second goal of the game. This time, the assist went to
Juan Fernando Arriaga when Jackson fired a shot and it landed in the top left corner of the net.
The Polars will be back in action and putting their undefeated UMAC record to the test on Tuesday, September 24
th against the Cougars from Minnesota-Morris. The game will take place on the UMM campus and is slated for a 4:30 PM start.
