(Ann Arbor, MI) Concordia Men's Soccer welcomed the Lourdes Gray Wolves into town Wednesday afternoon for a WHAC clash. Lourdes came into match sitting at third in the WHAC tables, with the Cardinals on the outside looking in for the WHAC playoffs. The Cardinals earned a critical three points with a combined shutout and 2-0 win over the Gray Wolves.
Dario Cela started the game in goal and played the first half, while Kyri Wixom closed out the game in the second half. The Cardinal keepers earned the combined shutout with both having a pair of saves. Clemens Gehlich and Ignacio Lopez were the goal scorers for the Cardinals in the victory.
Lourdes threatened first with a 30-yard free kick that went just over the cross bar early on. Later in the half, a charging Lourdes attacker forced Dario Cela off his line to make an initial save and then Lourdes had a secondary shot that sailed wide right. Jack Pelton from Lourdes whipped a shot on goal late in the half that made Cela dive to his right to keep it scoreless at the half.
Clemens Gehlich earned a free kick for the Cardinals early in the second half but Bryce Schaner's effort went high. Not long after, Jan Lloveras Freix earned another free kick for Bryce Schaner who skipped a shot with pace behind it in to the Gray Wolves keeper. Then with under 17 minutes Marlon Rataj forced a turnover following a Lourdes goal kick and Lucas Anderson found Clemens Gehlich who scorched it past the Gray Wolves keeper to break the draw. The Gray Wolves threatened shortly after when Bruno Duarte kept it in and found Ibrahim Akl who put a shot off the post. The Cardinals were able to double their lead with under seven minutes remaining when Bryce Schaner received a pass from Clemens Gehlich and made a run at the Lourdes keeper who stopped Schaner, but Ignacio Lopez was there to put it away and make it 2-0. In a last second effort, the Gray Wolves got a shot off of a corner kick, but Carter Kerbawy was there to make the defensive save and preserve the clean sheet.
Next up for the Cardinals will be an away match at #16 Indiana Tech on Saturday, October 19th. Kick off is set for 4:00 PM in Fort Wayne.
