Men's Soccer shuts out Concordia Ann Arbor in season-opener

RIVER FOREST, Ill. – Ryan Kreuser struck just under five minutes into play and Nate Yeager recorded his first career shutout as the Concordia University Wisconsin Men's Soccer team opened its 2017 season with a 2-0 win over Concordia Ann Arbor Friday. The match was a part of the 2017 Concordia Invitational Tournament, hosted by Concordia Chicago.

THE BASICS
- Final Score: Concordia Wisconsin 2, Concordia Ann Arbor 0
- Location: Concordia Chicago – River Forest, Illinois
- Records: Concordia Wisconsin 1-0; Concordia Ann Arbor 1-1

HOW IT HAPPENED
- It didn't take long for the Falcons to score as Kreuser (Suamico, Wis.) struck just 4:50 into play, giving his team a 1-0 advantage. Colin Dibb (Hartland, Wis.) picked up the assist as his shot was blocked by a defender, and Kreuser was in the right spot to finish for the 1-0 lead.

- The goal was the only score in the first half, despite a 12-4 edge in shots for the Falcons. Yeager (Rio Rancho, N.M.) made one save in the first half to keep the Falcons up 1-0.

- The second half was closer in terms of shots as CUW finished with an 8-6 advantage and a 20-10 edge in the contest. Yeager was tested more after the break, stopping four shots, to finish with five to complete the shutout.

- CUW scored the final goal with six seconds left on the clock. Junior Dagoberto Diaz (Woodburn, Ore.) ripped one from 18-yards out, making the final 2-0 in favor of the Falcons.

- Diaz paced CUW with five shots, two of those on goal. Kreuser added four shots, three on goal, while Dibb added four shots as well. Anthony Tucker led Concordia Ann Arbor with a team-best three shots.

- Spencer Ward finished the match with six saves for Concordia Ann Arbor.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- CUW won its third straight season opener and improved to 8-5-2 in openers since the 2003 season. The Falcons have won the last three via a shutout, defeating Carroll in 2015 and Lawrence last season.

- In each of the last three seasons, CUW has scored a goal within the first 10 minutes of the opener. Kreuser's score was the fastest for CUW in that span, while Dibb netted a goal in the ninth minute last season and Justin Clayton scored in the eighth minute in 2015.

UP NEXT
- The Falcons will take on Concordia Nebraska tomorrow at 11:45 a.m. The match will be played at Concordia Chicago.