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WINONA, Minn. — It was a day of firsts at Ochrymowycz Field Friday evening.
The f
irst collegiate goal off the foot of Juvenel D'Haiti
(Evanston, Ill.).
The
first collegiate shutout by goalkeeper
Jim Schultz (Kenosha, Wis.).
And last, but certainly not least, the
first win of the season — in the
first game of the season — for the Saint Mary's University men's soccer team.
The Cardinals' got a late, second-half goal by D'Haiti and the three-save shutout effort by Schultz en route to a 1-0 nonconference win over Presentation.
"What a great way to start the season," said SMU coach Chris Dembiec, whose starting lineup included eight players making their first-ever collegiate start. "We had so many new faces in the lineup that I really didn't know what to expect. We were a little ragged in the first half, and I think a lot of that can be attributed to nerves. But once we settled down, I thought we played pretty well — especially for a first game."
D'Haiti gave the Cardinals all the offense they would need, feathering a free kick from 22 yards out around the Saints' wall, and into the right-hand corner, just past the outstretched arm of Presentation goalie Joseph Romero.
And Schultz & Co. made that one goal stand up.
"Defensively, I thought we were pretty solid — to get a shutout against a team as offensively talented as (Presentation), that's impressive," said Dembiec, noting that the Saints — winners of the UMAC championsihp a year ago — returned their top five scorers from last season. "It's so nice to open the season with a win. The guys played hard, and were rewarded for their effort."