Box Score Beloit, WI – The Prairie Fire split a pair of matches this weekend after defeating Beloit College 1-0 on Sunday and officially qualified for the Midwest Conference tournament.
Knox (13-6, 6-3 MWC) will try to close out the regular season with another victory next weekend against conference rival Monmouth College. No matter what happens in the regular season finale, the Prairie Fire – picked to finish ninth in the 2013 MWC preseason coaches' poll – earned a berth in the four-team tournament and will play for the program's first league title since 1988.
First-year
Terence Lau (Shanghai, China, Shanghai American School) provided all the offense Knox needed with his fifth goal of the season, assisted by sophomore
Nathaniel Logie (Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Queens Royal College), 35:27 into the match.
The Prairie Fire held an 8-2 advantage in total shots in the first period and wound up outshooting Beloit 17-4 overall, including a 7-1 edge in shots on goal.
Junior
Sean Dockrell (Dublin, Ireland, San Bernadino CC) had one save in goal and posted his school-record ninth shutout of the season. He's now second in Midwest Conference history for shutouts in a season and needs one more to tie the record of 10 shared by two former Grinnell College goalies, in 1994 and 2002.
Knox bounced back against Beloit (0-13-2, 0-7-1) following a 1-0 setback on Saturday at Carroll University on a late goal by the Pioneers. The win over the Buccaneers marked the first for Knox in men's soccer since September of 1989.
Lake Forest College (11-6, 8-1 MWC) maintains the lead in the
Midwest Conference standings with 24 points and earned a spot in the MWC tournament after downing Illinois College 2-0 at home on Sunday, knocking the Blueboys out of the race for a spot in the tourney.
Carroll (11-4-1, 7-1 MWC) trails Lake Forest by three points after edging Monmouth College 2-1 at home on Sunday. The Pioneers, who have qualified for the conference tournament, still have two league contests remaining in which they'll be the favorites – at Beloit and at home against Ripon College – in the next week.
St. Norbert College (8-7-2, 7-2 MWC) beat Grinnell 3-0 at home on Sunday to secure a tournament berth. Grinnell (7-10, 5-4) entered the match against the Green Knights with three straight victories, but was eliminated from contention with the loss.
Knox, with six conference wins, has 18 points and is in fourth place in the MWC team standings.
The Prairie Fire's last regular season match is at Monmouth (4-12-1, 2-7 MWC) on November 2 at 1:30 p.m.
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