The boys’ varsity soccer team clinched their first victory of the season on Saturday, August 28. Their 1-0 win over section rivals, the Breck Mustangs, put the Red Knights in a good place for the kick-off to their year.

The team welcomed seven new players to the team and headed up to Duluth shortly after it was assembled. They returned from the Duluth Marshall game with a 2-2 tie, and started preparing for one of the toughest games of their season.

In the first half, both teams had a few chances to score, “It was only my second varsity game. I was really nervous. You might have been able to tell because in the first half I hit the cross bar on a volley inside the 18,” said junior, midfielder Carter Ecklerline. The game remained scoreless going into the second half, and the beginning of the half displayed an even amount of possession between the teams.

Chances to finish a goal arose for the Red Knights, but they couldn’t seem to put it away. “Our captain, Johnny Mulvahill, had a promising break away attack that unfortunately didn’t result in a goal,” said Ecklerline.

With only 5:13 left in the game, junior forward Jake Horton sent a cross that Ecklerline struck with his left foot. The ball went off of the goalie’s hand and into the net, and the Red Knights were up 1-0. The remainder of the game was left on the defense’s shoulders.

The defense did not disappoint and only allowed three shots to be taken on them in the second half. “Our team had amazing defense against Breck and had about only one let down which turned out to be a break away that our goaltender, Alex Leiter, made a great save on,” said Ecklerline.

This win not only sent a message to the Mustangs, but gave the Red Knights a better chance at claiming a high seed in sections. “Our team just tried to play simple and quick,” said Ecklerine, “it was a big win for our team, and gave us a lot of momentum and confidence.”