WINONA, Minn. — It was a day of firsts for the Saint Mary's men's soccer team when they took the field for the first time in 2023 on Friday.
Making his debut on the sidelines as the Cardinals' head coach,
John Pucci collected his first collegiate coaching win, while
Cohan Hare (New Richmond, Wis.) and Adam Adamek (Helena, Mont.) recorded their first — and second — career goals in leading Saint Mary's to a convincing 4-0 nonconference win over Martin Luther at Ochrymowycz Field.
Saint Mary's did not wait long to take control against the Knights, as Hare scored back-to-back goals five minutes apart before the contest was even 13 minutes old, while Adamek needed less than three minutes to notch career goals No. 1 and No. 2 — scoring in the 19th and 21st minutes — and the rout was on.
The Cardinals — who have never lost to the Knights, sporting an unblemished 8-0-0 mark in eight meetings — outshot MLC 10-1, with
Jake Wing () stopping the lone shot he faced in second-half relief of starting goalkeeper
Daniel Sessler (Brookfield, Ill.)
The Cardinals (1-0 overall) are back in action on Sunday and Monday, heading to Wauwatosa, Wis., for a 1:30 p.m. nonconference matchup against Wisconsin Lutheran on Sunday, before heading to Fond du Lac, Wis., for a 6 p.m. showdown against Marian the following day.
