The Dakota County Technical College Blue Knights soccer teams continued their long home stand last week, playing four games each. The Knights hosted squads from Scott Community College, Cloud County ( Kan.), Iowa Central and St. Olaf College.
DCTC had mixed results in games against conference foe Scott Community College on Oct. 1. The men were upset 3-1, while the women beat up Scott for an 8-0 win.
On Monday, Oct. 3, Cloud County Community College was in town from Kansas for an afternoon of soccer against the Knights, who handled them well. The men came away with a 4-3 non-conference win, while the women won their third straight game by shutout, defeating Cloud 10-0.
Conference games picked up again on Wednesday when Iowa Central brought two nationally respected programs to Dakota County. The DCTC women came up far short in a 5-0 loss to the Top Ten ranked Triton women. The tables were turned on the men’s side, however, as they took charge of the match by taking a commanding 4-1 halftime lead, on their way to a 4-2 victory.
Coach Cam Stoltz noted that Iowa Central is the defending regional champion and that the win is the high point in the young Blue Knights’ two-year history.
On Sunday, Oct. 9, the Knights hosted St. Olaf College, with the men winning 2-1 and the women tying a frustrating match 1-1. The Ole women had previously beaten DCTC 4-1 in mid September.
The week of Oct. 10 leads DCTC toward playoff seeding with conference games left at North Iowa, Scott Community and Marshalltown. The women’s team will first play Macalester and Rochester, hoping to improve their 6-7-1 overall record, while the men hope to gain momentum and reach an even record in the conference standings.
DCTC currently sits with a 2-5 record in fifth place of the six-team league. DCTC hopes to position itself for a home quarterfinal match, and will need to finish third or fourth by winning at least two of their next three conference games to host.
For more information on Blue Knights soccer and the college’s athletic program, contact Stoltz at (651) 423-8462 or visit www.goblueknights.com
