Pioneers put on a show in the second half to advance in NCAA tournament
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville men’s soccer program defeated the Carthage College Red Men 4-1 Friday night in the opening-round of the NCAA Division III Tournament at Calvin College in Zuidema Soccer Field. In a game of two halves, the Pioneers came back from a 0-1 deficit at the half to put away four unanswered goals in the second to seal the win and the advance to the second round.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Carthage
(12-9-1)
|
1 | 0 | 1 |
|
Wis.-Platteville
(13-2-3)
|
0 | 4 | 4 |
Team Stats
Carthage
| Game Statistics | Carthage | Wis.-Platteville |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 16 (7) | 10 (6) |
| Saves | 2 | 6 |
| Fouls | 6 | 4 |
| Corner Kicks | 3 | 1 |
| Offsides | 4 | 2 |
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville men's soccer program defeated the Carthage College Red Men 4-1 Friday night in the opening-round of the NCAA Division III Tournament at Calvin College on Zuidema Soccer Field. In a game of two halves, the Pioneers came back from a 0-1 deficit at the half to put away four unanswered goals to seal the win and advance to the second round.
"In the first half we did not really adjust to their style of play and were under a lot of pressure" said head coach Enzo Fuschino. "We made some adjustments at half and executed in the second half."
After being shutout the first half, the Pioneer were able to keep the Red Men further from their final third and used their speed to counter and take control of the game. Senior Logan Rinderknecht led the charge with two goals within a five minute window to tie and then take a 2-1 lead. Rinderknecht's first goal assisted by Tyler Gilmore came at the 51st minute while his second goal assisted by Braxton Rottinghaus late in the 55th minute found the back of the net for the lead. Nick Hoklas scored his seventh goal of the season and was assisted by Robert Carlsson in the 69thminute to extend the Pioneers' lead to 3-1. Finally, to earn some extra insurance with just six minutes remaining in play, Rinderknecht once again broke away to score his tenth goal of the season unassisted and further secure UW-Platteville's chances to advance to the second round.
Overall, Carthage held a 16-10 advantage in shots for the day. Even as Carthage fired away 11 shots to the Pioneers' six in the second half, four of UW-Platteville's six found the back of the net. Pioneer goalkeeper, Nate Miller, stacked up three saves in each half to preserve UW-Platteville's four unanswered goals of the second half and the win.
The Pioneers improve to 13-2-3 overall while the Red Men concluded their 2018 campaign 12-9-1.
UW-Platteville will face the home team, Calvin College Knights, Saturday evening at 4 p.m. CST.