Welcome to our new web site!

To give our readers a chance to experience all that our new website has to offer, we have made all content freely avaiable, through October 1, 2018.

During this time, print and digital subscribers will not need to log in to view our stories or e-editions.

Central men’s soccer takes HAAC tourney crown in shutout of rival Missouri Valley

Kevin Oeth, Sports Editor
Posted 4/20/21

The Central Methodist men’s soccer team added another trophy to their growing collection. The two-time defending national champions took down rival Missouri Valley College 2-0 at home for the …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Central men’s soccer takes HAAC tourney crown in shutout of rival Missouri Valley

Posted

The Central Methodist men’s soccer team added another trophy to their growing collection. The two-time defending national champions took down rival Missouri Valley College 2-0 at home for the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament championship in the rain Saturday.

The rivalry between these two teams has been simmering for the last two years. In 2018 Central Methodist avenged a 2-1 loss to the Vikings in the HAAC tournament championship with a double-overtime win to take their first NAIA national tournament win in Irvine, California.

This season, CMU has won both meetings against MVC. With a split season due to COVID, CMU defeated MoVal 3-1 on October 28 in Marshall and again Friday night in the tournament finale.

Now both teams enter the NAIA National Tournament as the top seeds in their respective brackets. CMU will take on fourth-seeded UC Merced on Thursday in the Santa Barbara bracket in Santa Barbara, California. MVC will host the Marshall bracket. The Vikings take on Rio Grande (Ohio) at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Three of the top six teams in the national tournament are from central Missouri: CMU(1), MVC (6) and, Columbia College (3).

Saturday’s win marked Central’s second consecutive HAAC Tournament title. The Eagles improve to 19-1 overall while the Vikings fall to 14-4-1. 

In the first half, the Eagles grabbed the early lead with a goal from Alessandro Salvadego. The sophomore forward dribbled into the box and fired the ball past the keeper, putting Central up 1-0. For the rest of the half, CMU's defense held the Vikings to only three total shots. 

CMU was quick to score again in the second half, as freshman Alessandro Lacerti found classmate Theo Klein cutting into the middle of the box. Klein hit a perfect shot into the top right corner of the goal. Down two goals, the Vikings had to elevate their intensity and attempt a comeback. MVC took 10 shots in the second half but none of them found the back of the net, as the Eagles held on for their 19th win of the season.

Salvadego led the team with three shots and one goal in a little under 16 minutes of action. Jonathan Gibula and Lacerti added two shots apiece, with Lacerti also recorded an assist. Freshmen Klein, Tom Irion, Markus Esko, and junior Riccardo Sandulli all added one shot on goal, with Klein’s shot finding the back of the net for the second-period goal.

Freshman Stefano Camerlengo started the game in goal and sophomore Bosco Pery relieved him in the second half with each playing 45 minutes in goal. Pery recorded two saves during the second half.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here