EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – In a match-up of two of the top teams in the region, the Macalester College men's soccer team dropped a close contest to UW-Eau Claire, 1-0 Wednesday night at Simpson Field. The result marks the first loss for the Scots, who are 1-1-3 on the season. The Blugolds improve to 4-0-1.
In the 26th minute, UW-Eau Claire would score the only goal they would need. A long free kick up the middle by Sean Redmond was deflected back towards the Scots' goal by a Macalester defender. Ramzi Ouro ran onto the ball and his initial shot was stopped by sophomore goalkeeper
Justin Ratner (Dallas, Texas/Highland Park). But Owen Backus chased down the rebound and scored into an empty net for a 1-0 lead. Those were the only two shots the Blugolds managed to put on frame for the entire game.
The Scots' best chance in the second half came with just over a minute remaining, when sophomore forward
Milan Shah (Chicago, Ill./Francis W. Parker) took a hard shot from 15 yards out that Payton Douglas trapped between his knees. Shah put both of his shots on target, as Douglas was required to make five saves, including four in the second half. The game was a rematch of last year's NCAA Tournament game won by the Scots at John Leaney Field at Macalester Stadium.
Macalester begins MIAC play on Saturday, Sept. 19 with a match at St. Scholastica. The game begins at 3:30 p.m. in Duluth, Minn.
