Viterbo Men's Soccer wins third straight in victory over Northwestern-St. Paul

By Chris Porter, V-Hawk Contributor

LA CROSSE, Wis. - Not even the rain could cool off the red hot Viterbo University Men's Soccer team as they easily cruised to a 5-0 victory over the University of Northwestern-St. Paul. Erik Hernandez (Fr. - Carol Stream, Ill.) led the charge for the V-Hawks in the first half by scoring the team's first goal off of a free kick in the 21^st minute. Hernandez went on to collect an assist in each half. He provided Andrew Weddle (So. - Sun Prairie, Wis.) a goal just before the end of the first half, and he also assisted Vinny Koner (Sr. - Wolverhampton, England) with a back-breaking score within the first minute of the second half.

The key to victory for the V-Hawks came from solid defensive play. Goalkeeper Ernesto Ascenzo (Fr. - Lima, Peru) collected eight saves in his third shutout of the season. In fact, the Viterbo has outscored opponents 14-1 over the last three games. Viterbo used their stone-wall defense to build their possessions from the back. Team captain Michale Ohana (Sr. - Athens, Ga.) had this to say about the way the V-Hawks structured their possessions, "In training, we have made a consistent effort to work our way out of the back, but on the same note try to be smart about it."

The V-Hawks will attempt to make it four consecutive victories against Maranatha Baptist University, whom they have already defeated 5-0 this season. That game is scheduled for October 13 at 3:30 p.m. CT at the Viterbo Outdoor Athletics Complex. Follow the action on V-Hawks Game Day or connect with us on social media.