Contact: Matthew Eaker, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, mreaker@noctrl.edu 

Box Score

Northfield, Minn. (Nov. 13, 2021) - After giving up two early first half goals, the North Central College men's soccer team's late surge wasn't enough as they fell to the Loras College Duhawks 2-1 in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. 

The Cardinals have outscored their opponents 44-8 this season and were looking to knock off the Duhawks in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In the fifth minute, the Cardinals had an opportunity as Jack Fairwood finished off a loose ball in front of the net but was ruled offside, eliminating the Cardinals from taking an early lead. 

The Duhawks would strike first in the contest as Reed Miklavcic of Loras finished off a cross from teammate Jose Melo which snuck past goalkeeper Sid Marquardt to put the Duhawks up 1-0. Just five minutes later, Marquardt came out of the net and took down a Duhawks player inside the penalty area, awarding the Duhawks with a penalty kick. Reed Miklavcic would tally his second goal of the match as he sent a strike past Marqaurdt. 

The Cardinal offense kept the pressure on during the first half and in the 39th minute, Aidan Westerberg had an opportunity to cut the lead to one. Westerberg slipped away from the defense and sent a shot on net that was handled by Duhawks goalkeeper Connor Fitzpatrick, shutting down the scoring chance. 

The Cardinals came out in the second half ready to attack, shooting 16 times pushing the Duhawks defense back. In the 50th minute, Westerberg had another opportunity to score as he sent a strike to the lower corner of the net which was handled by Fitzpatrick keeping the score at 2-0. The Cardinals would find the back of the net late in the game as Jack Fairwood would find Sam Abreu who sent a strike from outside the box bringing the score to 2-1 with just eight minutes remaining. 

The Cardinals were looking for a way to send the game into overtime and with five seconds remaining Jesus Meza found an opening in the defense but his shot was just wide of the net, ending the Cardinals season. 

"This team has been able to fight all season and overcome a lot of challenges. This was a new challenge for us, we've never been down 2-0. This is a team that never gives up, they give it their all and play with a lot of heart" said Fairwood in the postgame press conference. 

The Cardinals finished their season with a 18-2-1 record, the best in program history and they claimed their first College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Championship in program history. For the full postgame press conference, click HERE. 

Download the free North Central Cardinals app, available for iOS and Android devices, to receive up to the minute news, scores and updates on your favorite North Central teams. Click HERE for more information.