Following an overtime loss in their previous game, Northwestern men’s soccer bounced back with a 1-0 home win against Dordt on Oct. 9. The Raiders used strong defense and dominated possession of the ball on offense to earn another win versus their Sioux County rival, their fifth win in a row over the Defenders. NW improved their record to 6-6 overall, 3-2 in the GPAC after the win, as Dordt stands at 3-7-2 with a conference record of 1-3-1.
The Raiders were on the attack for much of the first 45 minutes, finishing with 12 first-half shots. As the 43-minute mark approached, freshman midfielder Gijs Dingemans used a corner kick to force Dordt’s goalkeeper out of the net. Junior forward Jake Foscalina capitalized on the opportunity to score the first and only goal of the game, his seventh on the season. Foscalina leads NW in goals and Dingemans tallied his fourth assist of the year.
The brisk wind played a factor throughout the match, as it altered many NW shots in the first half and played a large role in assisting the Defenders in the final 45 minutes. Senior goalkeeper James Warren finished with three saves on the night to hold onto the shutout win. Dordt had one final push with nearly four minutes remaining in the contest, but Warren stopped Defender midfielder Mika de Vin’s shot to seal the win.
“Dordt was very organized tonight, and we struggled to break them down,” Head Coach Dan Swier said. “Fortunately, Jake buried one of our many corner kick opportunities and James made a couple of unreal saves to preserve the shutout.”
The Raiders finished with 18 shots on the night and seven shots on goal. NW’s defense held Dordt to 10 shots and zero goals, their 6th shutout of the season.
NW remained on their home field for a matchup with Dakota Wesleyan, as the Raiders defeated the Tigers 6-0. NW stands in 6th place in a competitive GPAC race with five games remaining in the regular season. NW will be back home on Oct. 23 after making a visit to Briar Cliff.
