Box Score

The UW-Parkside men's soccer team waited out two separate delays but got off to a fast start and never looked back in a 6-0 victory over Robert Morris-Lake County. The win is the first for head coach Jason Zitzke in what was anything but a normal day. The afternoon included a pregame delay of nearly an hour and a half followed by another 30 minute delay at the game's 14^th minute.
 
“I think it's what we've been talking about since the beginning of preseason,” said Zitzke. “There are things about the game we can't control and we just need to stay focused and battle through it.”
 
The Rangers seemed to come out with plenty of focus as Spencer Bursten and Jon Gourlay hooked up on the season's first goal just two minutes in. Bursten fed Gourlay on the right side of the goal box with Gourlay beating RM-LC's Nemanja Nendovic for the game's first goal.
 
The same two players would combine again just four minutes later when Gourlay buried Bursten's touch pass to the left wing, making it 2-0.
 
That was the last bit of action before a lightning strike in the area delayed the game just under 14 minutes in. The delay, however, did not slow the Rangers' scoring duo as Parkside made it 3-0 before halftime.
 
This time Niklas Boedts got involved in the action as his lead pass up the left sideline to Gourlay turned into a Ranger push. Gourlay then returned the favor with a nifty cross to Bursten who put it in the back of the net in the 24^th minute to complete the first half scoring.
 
Bursten got his second goal of the game just three minutes into the second half, finishing a feed from Ruben Torres, to put the Rangers in command at 4-0.
 
Jorge Ontiveros finished off the scoring with two goals in a six minute span late in the game. The first, at the 76^th minute, came off a rebound off the right post. Moments later, Jose Alfaro led Ontiveros with a past to the left side. Ontiveros tapped it on and made it 6-0.
 
“I thought our guys up front, as far as moving off the ball and making decisive runs, played very well today,” said Zitzke. “It was all our forwards that did the scoring and those are the guys you look for to lead your team. Today they did that and that was a good thing to see.”
 
The Rangers allowed just two shots all game for RM-LC with Ryan Onwukwe earning the shutout by collecting one save. Zitzke was pleased with his defense's effort after a rough exhibition outing against Marquette.
 
“I felt we did a very a good job in the back,” said Zitzke. “We were very organized and had great shape back there. Dustin Ashley did a nice job getting his first start and I thought, in general, our freshmen played pretty well.”
 
The Rangers will now begin preparations for next week as they host a non-conference game with Calumet College of St. Joseph on Wednesday evening. The conference opener is also less than a week away when Saint Joseph's College comes to town on Friday.
 
“We did some good things (today) but like any other game there's a lot that needs to be worked on,” added Zitzke. “We had a couple lapses and got a little complacent at times. There were moments where we got it back but then there were moments we'd lose it again. The consistent 90 minutes is something we are striving for.”