Katerna and Boateng lift 17th-ranked Lions to victory over No. 2 Eagles
SAINT LEO, Fla. (September 6, 2014) – The 17th-ranked Saint Leo men's soccer team opened up its 2014 season with a bang, shutting down No. 2 Carson Newman by a score of 2-0 on Saturday evening at University Field. The win opens the Lions' campaign with a record of 1-0, while the Eagles head home with a record of 1-1.
"We're very happy with tonight's outcome," said head coach Keith Fulk. "A win of this caliber in our young season is a good start. They're a quality team, last year's runner-up, and when you get to play a team of this caliber it's always going to be a positive experience no matter what the final result."
The Lions pounced early, with Maximilian Schulze-Geisthovel connecting a ball to Matthias Katerna just two and a half minutes into the game to put Saint Leo on the scoreboard. Despite the early goal, the Green and Gold continued ramp up the intensity throughout the contest as they dictated the pace of play throughout. After 45 minutes of play, Saint Leo led the shot count 12-2, while Carson Newman's Kavi Luchowa held the edge in saves with six, while Manuel Schoenhuber earned two.
Melvin Agyei Boateng added the reassurance goal a shade under 10 minutes into the second stanza, giving the Lions their 2-0 advantage. Despite the Eagles increasing their pace of play as the second half wore on, Saint Leo was able to maintain their level of intensity and composure to come out on top.
Schoenhuber made a total of three saves on the night, including a clutch diving save in the 67th minute to hold the Eagles off of the scoreboard. Luchowa collected eight saves on the night as the Lions peppered Carson Newman with shots. At the conclusion on the contest, Saint Leo held a 20-5 advantage in shots, as well as a 9-8 edge on corner kicks.
"We're excited about tonight's win, but our attention now is on recovery and our next game this coming week," Fulk added. "Clayton State will be another big regional game for us, so we don't want to lose focus."
The Saint Leo men's soccer team returns to action on Saturday, September 13, when they take on Clayton State at Pepin Stadium on the campus of University of Tampa. Game time against the Lakers is set for 7 p.m. For more information, fans can visit SaintLeoLions.com.
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo men's soccer team, visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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