MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.-- North Central University Men's Soccer was on the short end of a pair of weekend road conference matches on Friday and Saturday. Friday saw NCU strike first but come up short in the final five minutes in a 2-1 loss at Crown College. Saturday the Rams were the victims of an offensive outburst that game the University of Minnesota-Morris a 7-1 win in Morris.

North Central battled Crown College (St. Bonifacius, Minn.) to a scoreless first half draw and then took the lead in the 52nd minute when sophomore forward Christian Stepaniak (Woodbury, Minn./Maranatha Christian) fired home a shot from 30 meters out for his fifth goal of the season. 

Five mintues later Crown equalized and the game would remain knotted at 1-1 until the 83rd minute. Crown got the eventual game winner to send the Rams to a 2-1 road loss.

Saturday the Rams traveled to Morris, Minnesota for a battle with the Cougars of Minnesota-Morris. Four first half goals buried the Rams early and UMM did not relent in the final half to earn a 7-1 win over NCU.

Christian Stepaniak scored the lone Rams tally in the 55th minute to establish himself with a team leading 6th of the year. The score also puts him seventh in goals scored in the UMAC.

NCU will be off until the weekend when they play a Friday/Saturday UMAC double header against Northwestern College (St. Paul, Minn.). 

Friday the Rams host the Eagles at 4:30 p.m. at Coon Rapids Soccer Complex. Saturday NCU will travel to Northwestern for a Noon kickoff.