MANKATO, Minn. -- The North Central University (NCU) men's soccer team traveled to Bethany Lutheran College (BLC) to take on this Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) opponent. Playing their third game five days, the Rams battled hard through their tiredness and gave it their all in the loss to the number one seeded Vikings, 8-1.

Game Vitals

• The Rams shut down the Viking's shots by a third in the second half.
• The second half score was 2-1 BLC.

Game Recap

NCU kicked off at 5 pm on the Vikings field with perfect temperature for a soccer game. From the first whistle, both teams went at it to win each and every ball while still playing respectfully. Goalkeeper, Michael Machuca (Rock Island, IL, Rock Island High School), started for the Rams, his first game back after an injury. He had eight saves on the day. Later on in the game, Luke Matteucci (Albuquerque, NM, La Cueva High School) came in at keeper and gave the Rams two saves of his own. NCU's offense was extremely determined to get a goal despite the score, and Elliott Lebsack (Kearney, NE, Kearney High School) delivered in the 67th minute through traffic in front of the net. Lebsack had three total shots and two on goal. A couple of Ram defenders got in on the attacking action including Camilo Casas (Cape Coral, FL, Ida S. Baker High School), Evan Ackley (Sun Prairie, WI, Sun Prairie High School), and Fernando Lopez (Richfield, Richfield High School), who each had one shot. It was a team game for the Rams with each player contributing to the 90 minutes. Although it wasn't the result they were looking for, the Rams left it all on the field and kept their heads held high.

Looking Ahead

NCU moves to 4-2, 2-2 in the UMAC. The next game for the Rams is scheduled for this coming Saturday at 2 pm at Martin Luther College. All fans are encouraged to follow official Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for updates on the men's soccer team and more important information.