Men's Soccer Falls in Home Opener

CRETE, Neb. – A scoreless first half gave way to a decisive second-half surge as Saint Mary pulled away for a 3-0 victory over Doane Wednesday evening at Papik Field.

The Tigers generated pressure early with 10 first-half shots and three corner kicks, but Saint Mary goalkeeper Ricardo Perez turned away five saves to keep the match level at halftime.

Saint Mary broke through in the 50th minute when Daniel Castro netted the opener. The Spires extended their advantage in the 64th minute as Jude Rodwell capitalized on a feed from Robin Van Voorst to make it 2-0. Castro struck again in the 76th minute to seal the outcome with his second goal of the night.

Doane pressed throughout, finishing with 19 shots and 13 corner kicks, but the Tigers were unable to find the back of the net. Saint Mary's defense held firm, limiting Doane to eight shots on goal and relying on Perez's eight total saves for the shutout.

Goalkeeper Curtis Oberg tallied seven saves for Doane, four coming in the opening half. The Tigers now sit at 1-3 on the season, while the Spires improve to 2-1.

Doane looks to rebound next week when they return to action at Kansas Wesleyan on September 10

Final: Saint Mary 3, Doane 0

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