Minneapolis, MN -- This afternoon, the North Central University (NCU) men's soccer team returned home to Elliot Park Field to take on the Martin Luther College (MLC) Knights. Not only was this the second meeting between these two teams, but it was also the final match of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular season. In their previous face-off in New Ulm, the Knights defeated the Rams with a final score of 1-0. Today, after a mad scramble of yellow and red cards, the Rams would eventually fall to the Knights once again, with a final score of 3-2.

The Rams took charge of the match early in the first half. NCU's freshman Trystin Procyk started off strong, making crucial saves early on. NCU struck first in the 17th minute when Alvin Wlejleh found the back of the net off an assist from Wilfredo Chavez, putting the Rams ahead 1-0. However, the lead was short-lived. Just a minute later, MLC leveled the score with a well-placed penalty kick goal, tying the game at 1-1. The remainder of the first half was filled with action, including multiple shots on goal from NCU's Sam Saye, Alvin Wlejleh, and Elmer Polio Silva. NCU had two penalty kicks in quick succession - one from Alex Chacich that was off target, and another by Wlejleh that was blocked by the goalkeeper. The missed chances proved costly as both teams remained locked at one goal apiece. The first half of the match concluded with a score of 1-1 going into halftime.

Although the game remained competitive in the second half, MLC scored a goal in the 65th minute, bringing the score to 2-1 with the Knights out in front. However, the Rams weren't done yet. NCU's Alvin Wlejleh had a close call with the back of the net with a shot that rang off the crossbar and just barely missed the goal. This goal attempt gave North Central momentum that paid off in the following minutes. In the 75th minute of the match, Sam Saye finished the job by scoring with an assist from Rodrigo Burgos. However, the celebration didn't last long again, with one final score from MLC in the 80th minute, bringing the score to 3-2. After a flurry of yellow and red cards distributed to North Central after a dispute, the match ended with the final score of 3-2.

Looking Ahead:

Up next, the team will be competing in the NCCAA DII North Regional Championship tournament starting Monday, November 11th. All games will be hosted at Crown College in St. Bonifacius, MN. Game times are currently TBD. 

All fans are encouraged to tune into the official Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (X) pages for updates on men's soccer and all things NCU Athletics.