CHICAGO, Ill. — It wasn't quite the way Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's soccer coach
Pete Watkins was hoping to kick off the 2014 season.
North Park proved to be a rather ungracious host Monday afternoon, as the Vikings scored three second-half goals — including two in a six-minute span — to break open a close game and hand Saint Mary's a 4-1, season-opening setback.
The Vikings broke a scoreless deadlock with less than 13 minutes remaining in the half, as Pedram Tahmi-Masolah beat Cardinal goalkeeper
Zach Satton (Tehachapi, Calif.) for the only goal in the game's opening 45 minutes.
Still clinging to that one-goal advantage, North Park displayed its quick-striking ability midway through the second half, as Nathan Paisley and Diego Lashlee scored less than six minutes apart to push the Vikings' lead to 3-0.
The Cardinals got their first goal of the 2014 season in the game's 81st minute, as
Ryan Geidner (Antioch, Ill.) took a feed from
Jim Dreshar (Hugo, Minn.) and beat North Park goalkeeper Wesley Woodley.
That, however, would be all the offense the Cardinals would muster. North Park, meanwhile, added its fourth goal in the 86th minute to close out the scoring and ice the victory.
Satton finished with nine saves in his collegiate debut in goal for the Cardinals, while Woodley stopped five of the six Saint Mary's shots he faced.
The Cardinals (0-1 overall) return home on Thursday, as Saint Mary's squares off against North Central (Minn.) in a 7 p.m. game that was originally scheduled for last Saturday, but was postponed due to severe weather.
