GALESBURG, Illinois - The Knox Prairie Fire men's soccer team soundly defeated the Grinnell College Pioneers this Wednesday at Jorge Prats Field, ending with a final score of 2-0. With the victory, their third win in a row, they are now 1-0 in conference play, and are set up with impressive momentum as they get into the dog days of their schedule.

The Prairie Fire continued their efficient offensive performance from past games, rattling off a series of threatening shots at the Pioneer goal. Ashton Zeringue put in work, getting a shot off that required an acrobatic save by the Grinnell keeper while creating chances for others with his passing touch. Knox outshot Grinnell 7-3 in the half, and many near misses on their part turned into excellent opportunities off of corner kicks. The Prairie Fire's play warranted a response, and the Pioneers turned physical in order to combat Knox's sustained possessions. Yellow cards by both teams followed, and despite the Prairie Fire's superior performance, the half ended in a draw.

Fortunately, Knox finally broke through in the second half, as after fending off multiple corner kicks, Joey Dorgan, Jr. scored his third goal of the season in the 50th minute from a nice pass by Alex White. The goal provided Knox with a reward for their hard play, and they followed it up with even more fantastic soccer. Taking control of every facet of the game, they doubled their lead in the 63rd minute, with Giuseppe Ceschia also netting his third goal of the season. The Prairie Fire had essentially clinched the game at this point, and coasted to another shutout victory, their third in a row.

"It is always a good win when you beat Grinnell," said head coach Brian O'Connor. "Grinnell is always a tough opponent and they came to play once again. We were able to make the most of our chances in this one."

Knox will attempt to win their fourth game in a row when they host Beloit this Saturday at 1:30 p.m.