FOND DU LAC, Wis. –
Victor Aguirre (
So.-Sheboygan Falls, Wis.) scored twice,
Isai Gil (
Jr.-Beaumont, Calif.) tied a school single-season record for assists and the Lakeland University men's soccer team displayed an explosive offensive attack in a 5-1 win over Marian University Wednesday night at Marian's Smith Field.
The Muskies defeated the Sabres for the first time in five tries and picked up their first Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference win of the season, improving to 7-2-1 overall and 1-1-1 in the NACC. Lakeland also is off to the best start through 10 matches in its varsity history and has already tied its win total for all of last season when the Muskies finished 7-10-2.
Lakeland capitalized on set pieces time and again, scoring twice off of corner kicks and two more goals off free kicks. The first came just 4 minutes, 30 seconds into the match when
Austin Eigenberger-Vahsholtz (
Jr.-Grafton, Wis.) served in a corner kick that Aguirre headed inside the near post for his first collegiate goal.
The Muskies added two more goals later in the half, both on free kicks and part of a stretch that included four goals over 27 minutes spanning the first and second halves. The first came in the 29th minute when
Aaron Cortez (
Fr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) scored on a free kick from 30 yards out for his first collegiate goal. The second came just under 10 minutes later from
Jordan Davis-Troller (
Sr.-Cottage Grove, Wis.), whose free kick from 20 yards out scored inside the far post for his fifth goal of the season and the 22nd of his career.
Lakeland added two more goals just out of halftime, including Aguirre's second goal of the game 3:29 out of the break. Gil assisted on the goal for his seventh assist of the season, tying the Muskies' single-season record for assists set by both Michael Heinen and Kyle Nothem in 1997.
The fifth goal came in the 56th minute with another header off a corner kick from Eigenberger-Vahsholtz.
Luca Stevens (
So.-New Lenox, Ill.) scored from the middle of the box, the defender notching his second goal of the season for a 5-0 lead.
Lakeland played the final 34 minutes, 42 seconds a man down after a red card to Aguirre. Marian would finish with 13 shot attempts in the second half but capitalized just once, 25 seconds after the Stevens goal when Zac Pfister scored at 55:43 to make it 5-1.
Ali Faiad (
Fr.-Tampa, Fla.) made three saves in 75:34 for the win in goal for the Muskies.
Jeremiah Reynolds (
So.-Huntley, Ill.) finished the game and made three saves the rest of the way.
Lakeland goes on the road again Saturday to face Concordia University Chicago at 3:30 p.m. in River Forest, Ill.
