Men’s soccer loses 0–6 to third-ranked Marshalltown
Rosemount, Minn., Aug. 27, 2008—DCTC Blue Knights men’s soccer opened the 2008-2009 season by traveling to Marshalltown, Iowa, on Aug. 26 to take on the Marshalltown Community College Tigers, 2007 Regional XI Champions and third-place finisher at the 2007 NJCAA Division I National Soccer Tournament.
Ranked third in the nation in a recent NJCAA Div. I poll, the Tigers took a two-goal lead in the first half. Unable to muster an effective offence throughout the game, the Knights gave up four more goals in the second half, eventually losing 0–6.
Competition will not slacken when the Blue Knights head to Phoenix, Ariz., to battle the Paradise Valley Community College Pumas on Friday, Aug. 29, at 7:30p.m. MST.
From there, the Knights ride into Prescott, Ariz., on Saturday, Aug. 30, at 7 p.m. to face the Yavapai College Roughriders, defending national champions and current top-ranked team in the nation.
“We knew our schedule was going to be very difficult early on,” said Head Coach Cam Stoltz. “We need to learn fast how to play at the highest level if we hope to finish above our four consecutive regional semifinal losses.”
“We have a ways to go, but the guys are learning,” Stoltz added. “The key is to avoid getting frustrated. We willcontinue to learn from our mistakes in preparation for upcoming challenges.”
The Knights return to Minnesota on Saturday, Sept. 6, to play the Ridgewater College Warriors at 2 p.m. at Willmar. The team plays its first home game on Wednesday, Sept. 10, against the North Iowa Area Community College Trojans at 4 p.m. at Burnsville North River Hills Park.
