MARS HILL, N.C. - Redshirt sophomore Andre Carle's 68th minute goal was all Anderson University men's soccer needed as the Trojans earned a 1-0 victory over Mars Hill in South Atlantic Conference action on Saturday afternoon at Meares Stadium.
The narrow victory snaps a three-match winless streak after Anderson began the season 4-0, as the Trojans improve to 5-2-1 overall and 2-2 in league play. The win in regulation also snaps a streak of three consecutive overtime matches.
"Everyone answered the challenge today," head coach John Murphy said. "I was very pleased with the result, Mars Hill is a tough place to play and they matched our effort today. It was a good colleective team effort and probably our toughest match of the season this far."
After a scoreless opening half that saw just four shots between the teams (Anderson 3, Mars Hill 1), Carle was able to take advantage of a mishap by MHU goalkeeper Chris Mitchell in the second half. After Mitchell picked up the ball while AU was on the attack, the goalkeeper set the ball down ready clear it out of the Lion zone. Misjudging how far Carle was away, Carle stole the ball away from Mitchell and scored the match's only goal on an empty net.
For Carle, the well-earned goal was his sixth of the season, the most on the team. Carle also led the team in shots on the afternoon with three as two came on goal. Freshman Oliver Wright and redshirt freshman Alex Delpy each had a shot apiece to give Anderson five on the day, matching Mars Hill's total.
Despite being even in the shots category, freshman goalkeeper Bo Haug did not record a save on the afternoon. With the victory, Haug moves to 4-2-1 with two shutouts in his young career. On the year, the Stuttgart, Germany native has recorded 31 saves.
Mars Hill's offense was spread throughout the lineup as five different players recorded all of their shots. Four of the five Lion shots came in the final half.
Anderson returns to action on Wednesday, Oct. 2 when it travels to North Georgia. Kickoff from Dahlonega, Ga. is set for 7 p.m.
