UWS Men’s Soccer Team celebrates winning UMAC Title
Photo by Maryz Zajchowski
SUPERIOR, Wis. – The UW-Superior men’s soccer team exploded for four goals in the second half for a 6-1 victory over Northwestern, winning the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular-season title outright for the second consecutive season Tuesday, Oct. 22.
UWS received two goals from Eric Watson (Thunder Bay, Ontario/Hammarskjold) and a goal and assist from both Miguel Ocampo (St. Louis Park, Minn./St. Louis Park) and Blake Doyea (Ramsey, Minn./Anoka). Blake Perry (Anoka, Minn./Anoka) and Archie Gjerdrum (St. Paul, Minn./Como Park) also tallied to complete the ‘Jackets’ second straight undefeated UMAC season.
With the win, the Yellowjackets, who outscored the opposition 43-3 over the course of the conference slate, improved to 12-3-2 overall and 8-0-0 in the league.
Superior scored just 4:36 apart to open a 2-0 lead in the first half. Perry made it 1-0 at 13:09, finishing off a feed from Ocampo into the side netting. Watson then buried his fourth penalty kick of the season at 17:45.
Watson scored again just after halftime from Doyea in the 46th minute for a 3-0 lead. Ocampo cleaned up Felix Blick’s (Linkoping, Sweden/Katedralskolan) penalty that glanced off the post in the 52nd minute to make it 4-0.
Doyea made the most of his penalty chance with 57 minutes on the clock before Northwestern’s Joshua Hintz beat Dalton VonKaenel (Eagan, Minn./Eagan) to get the Eagles on the board.
Gjerdrum accounted for the final margin with just 25 second remaining for his first goal of the season.
VonKaenel earned the victory in net, making one save. Ulrik Lager (Vollen, Norway/Asker VGS) played the final nine minutes.
UNW goalkeeper Austin Gunkel made three saves, allowing five goals in 71 minutes, before giving way to Aidan Lynch, who stopped one shot. Northwestern fell to 3-13-1 and 2-4-0 in the UMAC with loss.
The ‘Jackets travel to face St. John’s Saturday, Oct. 26 at 2 p.m.