Men's soccer falls in close match

By Chris Porter, V-Hawk Contributor

On a crisp September afternoon, the Viterbo University V-Hawks (1-0) kicked off against the Dakota Wesleyan University Tigers, after observing a 10-second moment of silence in honor of the racial injustice observed in the United States and around the world.

The first half was a stalemate in every sense of the word. The ball mostly remained in the middle third of the field, but the V-Hawks did manage 8 shots, half of which were on frame. Andrwe Weddle (So. - Sun Prairie, Wis.) and Alfie Gyurkovits (Sr. - Cranage, England) led the way for the V-Hawks with three shots each. On the defensive side, Ernesto Ascenzo (Fr. - Lima, Peru) continued his strong start to his collegiate career with six saves in the first half. Overall, the rainy weather from earlier in the day made the ground slippery, preventing both teams from playing proper through passes.

In the second half, a majority of play also remained in the middle third. Fatigue began to set in as the game wore on and both teams saw an increased amount of chances to score. In the end, Viterbo surrendered the only goal scored by either team (62'). The V-Hawks had their chances down the stretch coming off of a couple of corner kicks, but Matthew Campbell for the Tigers came up with multiple clutch saves and ended with 10 total. Andrew Weddle (So. - Sun Prairie, Wis.) led the charge for the V-Hawks finishing with 6 total shots, 5 of those on goal.

Viterbo (1-1) will be on the road for their next two contests but will return to the Viterbo Athletics Complex on October 1, when they face off against the University of Northwestern - St. Paul. Follow the action on 'V-Hawks Game Day' or connect with us on social media.