Dearborn, MI – The Saints continued their hot streak Wednesday night with a 3-0 victory over UM-Dearborn. The win extends Aquinas' winning streak to three games and improves the Saints to 4-0 in conference play.
Aquinas 3, UM-Dearborn 0
UM-Dearborn got off to a quick start, recording two early shots, but goalkeeper Dario Cela turned both attempts away. The Saints were slow to find their rhythm offensively, recording their first shot in the 12th minute when Adam Flanders' attempt was blocked by the Wolverine defense.
Marcos Real delivered a corner kick that led to a shot from Fikret Hasovic, but Dearborn's defense once again kept the Saints off the scoreboard. In the 22nd minute, however, Emmanuel Bedolla drew a foul on the Wolverine defense at about the 25-yard line. Hasovic stepped up to take the ensuing free kick and found the back of the net, giving Aquinas a 1-0 lead.
Chase Jacobs Gries later tested the Wolverine goalkeeper, but his shot was saved. Evan Goodfellow also had an opportunity late in the half, but the Saints took their 1-0 advantage into halftime.
UM-Dearborn came out aggressively in the second half, firing a shot just 40 seconds after the restart that missed wide left. Trae Collins nearly doubled the Saints' lead with a header, but his attempt went just wide.
The Wolverines continued to pressure, putting three shots together in quick succession. Two were blocked by the Saints' defense, while Cela made another save on the third attempt to preserve the lead.
Real continued to make an impact from the corner, delivering another quality ball in the 85th minute that found Flanders for a header and the Saints' second goal of the night.
Aquinas regained control as Flanders earned a corner kick. Real delivered the set piece, finding Hasovic, who scored his second goal of the night to put the Saints ahead 3-0.
Jareth Balcaraz-Alvarado had a late opportunity for Aquinas, but his attempts were stopped as the Saints closed out the 3-0 victory.
Saints Snapshot
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Miguel Gonzalez played all 90 minutes while helping anchor the Saints' defense.
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Dario Cela recorded another shutout with five saves.
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Aquinas scored three goals on six shots on goal.
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Fikret Hasovic led the Saints with two goals, while Adam Flanders added one.
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Hasovic led Aquinas with six shots, followed by Flanders with five.
Coaches Comments
Head Coach Luke Ruff reflected on the night stating, "we're really proud of the way the guys competed tonight, especially on the road. We were a little slow to get going, but once we found our rhythm, we created some great opportunities. Our set pieces were a big part of the result, and the guys did a great job executing them.
"Dario and our defense were outstanding again, and getting another shutout was huge. We're happy to be 4-0 in conference play, but we know there's still a lot of work ahead. We'll enjoy this one and get ready for the next challenge."
Up Next
The Saints will hit the road on Saturday, October 10, to take on No. 4-ranked Indiana Tech in another conference matchup. Kickoff is set for 5:00 p.m.
Aquinas enters the matchup riding a three-game winning streak and a perfect 4-0 conference record. The Saints will look to carry their momentum into the road matchup against one of the top-ranked teams in the NAIA as they continue their strong start to conference play.
