Red Men Achieve Historic Home Win
- Sep 5, 2017
- 2 min read
Photo appears courtesy of Carthage Athletics/Mike Gryniewicz
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The Tuesday match marked the first match hosted by the Red Men on the newly renovated Art Keller Field.
Four different Red Men scored during the match.
Johnny Rimkus scored a goal in the second half, cementing his status as tied for eighth on the career list.
Brayan Arce Justiniano notched two saves in the match.
On Tuesday, Sept. 5, the Carthage College Men’s Soccer team (2-0, 0-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) hosted Kalamazoo College (1-1, 0-0 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) on the newly renovated Art Keller Field. It was the first match the Red Men hosted since the construction and renovation were completed.
The 4-1 win marks a contrast between the 2017 home opener and the 2016 loss to Lake Forest College in overtime.
“Honestly, we don’t look back on [the 2016 overtime loss to Lake Forest College] happening to us, which is important because it’s a match that’s far behind a team that prioritizes moving forward,” said Head Coach Steve Domin.
The Red Men got to work off of a goal in the 38th minute in the first half from Kevin Mahoney. Kalamazoo answered with a goal from Nick Kraeuter in the forty-fourth minute. The Red Men would respond in the second half with a game-winning goal by Alberto Eloyza.
“We showed a lot of character throughout the match, and now we must decide how to use what we learned to capitalize our player potential moving forward,” said Assistant Coach Filip Dyminski.
Senior forward Johnny Rimkus would add another goal to the board, becoming closer to earning the sole eighth spot on the Red Men Goal Scoring Career List. Kevin Reilly would also add to the scoring mix in the 74th minute of the match. The Red Men outshot the Hornets 17-5, 10 of which were shots on goal.
“We wanted to come out, get that first win, and continue to win. I want to do my part by earning quality goals throughout the season, especially because it will help our team further down the road,” said Rimkus.
On the defensive end, Justiniano took on goaltending duties for the Red Men, making two saves in the match. Reilly also added two assists while senior defender Jamie Tausend added one from a backline which included sophomore Matt Rojel and freshman AJ Abara during the match.
“Although our backline is a majority of underclassmen, no plays like an underclassman. When we go out there I trust them and they trust me so our level of play is more mature than opponents expect,” said Tausend.
The Red Men will continue their competitive schedule with the annual Battle on the Border with matches against Hope College and the University of Chicago.
“Hope and Chicago are some of the most storied programs in the Midwest region, and we know their competition will bring out the best in our players, especially because this tournament is a Carthage soccer staple since the program's inception,” said Domin.
The Red Men will kick off their first match at the annual invitational on Friday, Sept. 8th against Hope College at 5:30 PM.
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