The Dordt University men's soccer team picked up a key 3-2 win over Doane (Neb.) in a conference match played this afternoon on Papik Field in Crete, Neb.
The Defenders, who have won three straight matches, earned three points in the conference standings and improve to 4-2 in the GPAC, 8-5-1 overall. They moved into sole possession of second place in the conference standings with 12 points, one point in front of both Midland and Northwestern. Doane slips to 3-3 in the conference and 4-5-2 overall.
Dordt netted all three of its goals in the first half, beginning with a great finish by
Joseba Zabala, who tucked away his own rebounded shot into the back of the net at the 6:48 mark for a 1-0 lead.
The Defenders went ahead 2-0 with a goal scored on a header by
Pablo Martin off an incredible cross by Zabala at the 23rd minute. Following a goal by Doane forward Mateo Jelicich to cut the lead down to one, Martin scored his second goal of the match as he converted a penalty kick at the 43rd minute to give Dordt a 3-1 lead at halftime.
A late Tigers goal on a converted penalty kick from Jelicich made things interesting in the end but a save by Dordt goalkeeper
Alvaro Boned in the final minutes preserved the road win.
By the Numbers:
- Dordt held a slight advantage in total shots (14-10) and shots on-goal (9-8)
- both Martin and Zabala totaled a team-high three shots on-goal
- Boned stopped six Doane shots and earned the win in goal
- Jelicich, the GPAC's leading scorer, led the Tigers with three shots on-goal while his teammate, Tadeo Loutayf, had two
- Gabriel Lara made six saves for Doane
Notes:
- Dordt has won three consecutive matches, its second three-match win streak of the season
- the Defenders are alone in second place in the GPAC with four matches left in the regular season
- Dordt improved to 10-17-3 all-time against Doane and is unbeaten in its last six matches vs the Tigers
- Martin leads the Defenders with seven goals and 21 points
- Zabala picked up his fourth goal and ninth point of the season
- Dordt has outshot its opponent in four consecutive matches
