RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The UW-River Falls men's soccer team opened WIAC play this evening, battling UW-Eau Claire to a 0-0 draw at Ramer Soccer Stadium.
With the draw, the Falcons moved to 4-4-3 overall and 0-0-1 in WIAC play, earning one point in the conference standings. UW-Eau Claire moves to 5-2-3 overall and 0-0-1 in the WIAC.
The Blugolds controlled much of the possession during the opening half, outshooting the Falcons 12-4. Despite the constant offensive pressue, the Falcon backline held firm, limiting UW-Eau Claire to just one shot on goal during the first 45 minutes. In goal,
Greyson Shiek made the save to keep the match scoreless heading into the break.
UWRF's best chances of the opening half came in quick succession.
Ilya Lalich put a shot on frame in the 22nd minute before
Gabriel Abad Lobo followed with another attempt on goal just over a minute later, both were turned aside by UW-Eau Claire goalkeeper Charlie Mroz.
The Falcons recorded 10 of their 14 shots in the second half.
Mauricio Cuevas tested Mroz in the 63rd minute before
Ravel Martin and
Elijah Lund each placed shots on goal later in the half, but UWRF was unable to break through.
On the other end, Shiek and the Falcon defense continued to keep the Blugolds off the scoreboard. Shiek made three second-half saves, including a stop on Owen Backus in the 88th minute, to preserve the clean sheet. He finished the night with four saves while playing all 90 minutes in goal.
UW-Eau Claire finished with a 26-14 advantage in shots and a 10-0 edge in corner kicks, while the Falcons held a 5-4 advantage in shots on goal. Lund led UWRF with four shots, while Cuevas and
Carter Eklund each added two.
The Falcons remain at home for a non-conference matchup against Bethel University on Monday, Oct. 5. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Ramer Soccer Stadium.
