MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State men's soccer team claimed its third straight GLIAC Regular Season Championship after a 2-0 win over Northern Michigan in Marquette on Sunday afternoon. The Cardinals (9-1-6, 7-1-4 GLIAC) entered the game needing a win over the Wildcats (10-5-2, 7-3-2 GLIAC) to earn the regular season crown.
Kai Forsyth (Derby, England, Concord University) gave SVSU the 1-0 lead after he high pointed the ball off a corner from Amadou Kouyate (Ann Arbor, Mich., Community HS) to score in the top right portion of the net with a header in the 38th minute of play.
NMU held a 10-7 edge in shots through the first 45 minutes, but were not able to cash in on the three balls they put on target. SVSU had four shots on goal, with the header on the corner scoring to hold the one goal advantage at the break.
Forsyth would strike again in the second half in a goal that was nearly identical to the first. The Cardinals earned a corner kick and Kouyate booted the ball toward the far side of the net. Forsyth stepped between two NMU defenders and leaped to head the ball past Wildcat keeper, Asaf Kristal, for the insurance goal with just under 14:30 left to play.
The two corner kicks proved to be the difference as the teams were deadlocked in shots, tying with 17 apiece. Kristal made six saves while Cardinal goalie Jack Franklin (Jenks, Okla., University of Missouri-St. Louis) made four.
Matty Telfer (Newcastle, England, Sunderland College) led the way with six shots, five on frame. Forsyth finished with five shots, three on goal, and a brace to double his season scoring total to four goals. Kouyate added two shots to his two assists, bumping his season tally to three.
UP NEXT: The Cardinals concluded the regular season with a championship and will have a bye to the semifinals of the GLIAC tournament. The quarterfinal matches will take place at the three and four seeded teams. Saginaw Valley State will host the semifinals and finals.
