Tellez Scores as V-Hawks Claim Season Opener Win

LA CROSSE, Wis. – The Viterbo University Men's Soccer team opened their 2023 season with a 1-0 win over Morningside University (Iowa) on Thursday afternoon. The V-Hawks start the season 1-0, while the Mustangs fall to 0-1. This is the first career win for new Head Coach Roberto Yepez.

The V-Hawks goalie, Ernesto Ascenzo, would record his first save of the season in the fourth minute, and the Mustangs would take three more shots, one on goal, before the V-Hawks first corner kick in the 27^th minute. Santiago Tellez followed his corner with a shot at 38:09 that went high, and Johan Hamnstrom landed a header on goal a minute later that would be saved by Morningside's Oliver Melander.

After a scoreless half, Tellez took back-to-back corners before Joaquin Eichorn him up for his first goal as a V-Hawk at 62:29. Viterbo's defense would lock down the rest of the game, including three more saves by Ascenzo, to secure the 1-0 home season opener win.

Tellez led the V-Hawks, with two of their four shots, and one of the two on goal. Yannik Vogel and Niklas Kneller each had three shots with one on goal for the Mustangs.

Ernesto Ascenzo (W, 1-0) had five saves, while Oliver Melander (L, 0-1) had one.

The V-Hawks return to action on Saturday, August 19 with a scrimmage at Upper Iowa University.