Box Score RAPID CITY, S.D. — The Crusaders got exactly the result they needed, though it might have been a bit closer than they liked.
Rene Duevel scored in the 18
th minute and
Alfredo E. Ontiveros made two saves in goal as the Northwest Nazarene men's soccer team left South Dakota with an close, but important, 1-0 win over S.D. School of Mines on Saturday night.
"I think the big key in this game is similar to the other night at Mary in that when we are so dominate early and create so many chances, we need to bury teams," NNU head men's soccer coach
Coe Michaelson said.
"But in the end, a win's a win," he added. "We are in great position and we cannot wait to get back to Idaho for a while and finally play a run of home games."
The Crusaders (10-2-1 overall, 7-1-1 GNAC) earned the win when Duevel booted home a pass from
Marshall Hartley with 17 minutes, 28 seconds gone in the game.
NNU tried to pad the lead, outshooting the Hardrockers (1-12-0, 0-9-0) by a 19-12 margin in the contest, but only managed to net that lone goal.
But Ontiveros made it hold up, making two saves in the Crusader goal for his sixth shutout of the season.
The win keeps NNU close on the heels of Seattle Pacific for the GNAC lead, with the Crusaders returning home now to play four straight in Nampa, starting with a big clash against perennial powerhouse Simon Fraser, which visits on Thursday.
