Maloku, DWU defense lifts Tigers to a 1-0 road victory

Maloku, DWU defense lifts Tigers to a 1-0 road victory

LA CROSSE, Wis. – Hitting the road for the first time this season, the Dakota Wesleyan University men's soccer team faced off against non-conference foe Viterbo University. DWU needed only one goal to overpower Viterbo, ultimately coming away with a 1-0 victory Thursday afternoon in La Crosse, Wis.

 The Tigers (1-1) began the match on the attack offensively as the team reeled off five shots within the first six minutes including three attempts from sophomore forward Nicolas Morillo (Barranquilla, Columbia). The V-Hawks (1-1) responded with their own offensive opportunities early on. However, it was Dakota Wesleyan who held the edge 12-8 in shots during the first period.

 Unable to find the back of the net throughout the first half, the Blue and Gray relied on their strong defensive pressure and experienced netminder in junior Matthew Campbell (Duluth, Minn.) to keep the match scoreless heading into the intermission.

 Despite being outshot 11-6 in the second period, it was the Dakota Wesleyan offense who eventually found the back of the net. On a break away opportunity following a free kick, freshman forward Ndrin Maloku (Prishtine, Albania) took a nice pass from Morillo to secure his second goal of the season and, more importantly, the only goal of the match in the 61^st minute.

 The Tiger defense went on to hold firm and ultimately secure the win, handing Campbell his first shutout of the 2020 season and fourth of his career.

 Offensively, the Tigers were paced by senior midfielders Isaias Pio (Santa Cruz, Calif.) and Morillo who led the charge with five shots each. Morillo also notched his first assist of the season and Maloku added four shots including three shots on goal while Campbell posted a strong performance notching six saves on the day.

 The Tigers take the pitch once again at 4 p.m. on Monday as they travel to Forest City, Iowa to take on the Warriors of Waldorf University.