Minneapolis, MN -- Saturday, the North Central University (NCU) Men's Soccer team continued their home stand. The Rams went head-to-head with non-conference opponent Waldorf University (WU) Warriors. These programs have faced each other three times in total, with Waldorf winning all of those matchups. Hungry for their first win of the season, NCU managed to shut out the Warriors and claim the 2-0 home win. The match was highlighted by milestone moments from two Rams: senior Ricardo Vera Martinez notched his first goal as a Ram, while freshman Christian Longo-Schumer tallied his first collegiate goal in just his fourth career game.

North Central came out on the front foot early, generating pressure with consistent attacking movement and dangerous set pieces. The Rams quickly piled on the shots, tallying 9 in the first half alone, including early attempts from Ricardo Vera Martinez, Santiago Grams, and Steven Griffith, all of which tested the opposing keeper. NCU's offensive efforts paid off in the 35th minute when Vera Martinez sent a right-footed rocket into the back of the net off a well-placed assist from freshman Uziel Vazquez, putting the Rams ahead 1-0. The defense, anchored by senior midfielder Diego Zavala Varela and sophomore Wilfredo Chavez, held strong to keep the Warriors off the board despite 3 corner kicks from the visitors. Freshman goalkeeper Derick Stevens made a key save in the 30th minute to maintain the lead heading into halftime.

The Rams continued to control the tempo in the second half, outshooting the visitors 12-6 and adding five more corner kicks to their total of 10. Griffith, Vazquez, and Samuel Tivane Jr. all continued to pressure the defense, with Grams and Tommy Megie adding shots from midfield. In the 80th minute, NCU doubled its lead when Christian Longo-Schumer broke through to score his first collegiate goal by way of a header, finishing a well-orchestrated play assisted by Alex Elizondo and Kefeyen Tita. The Rams' backline stayed organized against a late push from Waldorf, and Stevens recorded four second-half saves to preserve the shutout. He finished with five saves total in his first collegiate shutout win. The Rams found their offensive aggression in today's match, firing off 21 shots and 7 shots on goal, both of which are season highs. North Central secured the 2-0 home win.

Quote from Head Coach, Keith Bleyer, on this afternoon's match: "The boys were due a result and they went out and earned it today. Our performances in our first four matches against strong opponents were not terrible, but just not consistent enough. Especially in the way we want to play. Today it all came together, and I felt we had true control of the match for long stretches. Waldorf came to play and made it difficult for us to score, but our commitment to what we call The Ram Way was rewarded. I hope our guys realize that. We scored two great goals in the run of play, and it was fun to watch our youngest players take a big step forward. I'm excited about UMAC play. We have clear goals, and they are attainable."
 
Looking Ahead:

Up next, the Rams will begin UMAC play on the road versus the UW-Superior YellowJackets at Superior Choice Credit Union Stadium on Wednesday, September 17th at 4:30 PM.

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..