WINONA, Minn. — For 85 minutes, the Saint Mary's University men's soccer team gave a raucous season-opening crowd everything it could want.
Everything, that is, except a goal.
D'Haiti banged home his own rebound with five minutes left in regulation, breaking a 0-0 tie and lifting the Cardinals to a 1-0 nonconference victory over Martin Luther in the first-ever night game played at Ochrymowycz Field.
“What a great atmosphere,” said SMU coach Chris Dembiec. “The crowd was unbelievable, and I thought our guys gave them more than enough to cheer about — we just couldn't give them that most important thing, a goal.”
After dominating play, outshooting the Knights 22-2, D'Haiti finally broke the ice, corralling his own rebound — which clanked off the pipe — and beating Martin Luther goalie Alex Vandenberg with the game's only goal.
“Everyone was getting a little worried,” admitted Dembiec. “Anytime you dominate play like we did — and don't have anything on the scoreboard to show for it — you start to press a bit. Juvey's goal was huge — it couldn't not have come at a better time for us.”
Jon Szafranski (Barrington, Ill.) picked up the win in goal for the Cardinals, kicking off his senior season with a two-save shutout.
“We accomplished everything we wanted to accomplish,” said Dembiec, whose team is back in action on Tuesday, playing host to Crown in a 7 p.m. nonconference game. “It was a great way for us to open the season — an exciting game, in front of an amazing crowd … you could not have scripted a better season opener for us.”
Game Summary vs. Martin Luther / www.saintmaryssports.com/photo_gallery.aspx
