NEW ULM, MINNESOTA - Saturday, the North Central University men's soccer team traveled to Martin Luther College for a UMAC matchup against the Knights. Coming off a 2-0 victory over Northwestern earlier in the week, the Rams continued their momentum with an impressive 5-2 road victory, marking their second consecutive conference win. Santiago Grams led the offensive charge with two goals for the second straight game, while Rodrigo Rocha, David Ajayi, and Gerald Nolasco each found the back of the net. The victory
brought North Central back to .500 in conference play at 4-4.
FIRST HALF
North Central came out aggressively, immediately putting pressure on the Knights' defense. Francisco Ramirez and Emmanuel Benitez each put shots on goal in the opening two minutes, while Rocha followed with another attempt on target in the eighth minute.
The Rams continued to dominate possession in the attacking third, generating six corner kicks in the opening 18 minutes. Their persistence paid off in the 18th minute when Grams found the back of the net to give NCU an early 1-0 advantage.
Martin Luther responded in the 23rd minute to even the contest at 1-1, but North Central continued to create scoring opportunities. Benitez and Ajayi each forced saves, while Ajayi nearly put the Rams back in front in the 43rd minute when his shot struck the left post.
Despite entering halftime tied at 1-1, the Rams controlled much of the opening period, holding a commanding 12-4 advantage in shots and generating nine corner kicks compared to just two for the Knights.
SECOND HALF
North Central wasted little time reclaiming the lead after halftime. Just 18 seconds into the second period, Ajayi connected with Rocha, who finished the opportunity to give the Rams a 2-1 advantage.
The offensive momentum continued in the 54th minute when Ajayi found the back of the net himself, extending NCU's lead to 3-1. Although Martin Luther answered less than a minute later to cut the deficit to one, the Rams remained aggressive and continued creating opportunities.
Samuel Tivane Jr. nearly added another goal in the 61st minute when his attempt struck the crossbar. Nolasco followed with another shot off the woodwork in the 67th minute as North Central continued to apply pressure.
The Rams eventually broke through again in the 72nd minute when Grams scored his second goal of the afternoon, pushing the advantage to 4-2. The goal marked his fourth in the last two games, continuing an impressive offensive stretch for the midfielder.
North Central put the finishing touches on the victory in the final minute when Nolasco scored at the 89:43 mark, securing the 5-2 final and sending the Rams home with their second straight conference victory.
The Rams finished with a dominant 25-8 advantage in total shots, including a 16-4 edge in shots on goal. North Central also controlled corner-kick opportunities, earning 12 compared to just three for Martin Luther.
Grams led the scoring effort with two goals on three shots, all on target. Ajayi contributed a goal and an assist while generating five shots, and Ramirez added four attempts, including three on goal.
In net, Alex Gianikas played all 90 minutes for North Central, recording two saves to help secure the victory.
UP NEXT
North Central improves to 4-4 in UMAC play. The Rams have now won three of their last four conference matchups and carry a two-game winning streak into the final stretch of the regular season.
As always, fans are encouraged to follow the official Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (X) pages for updates on men's soccer and all things NCU Athletics.
