PLATTEVILLE, Wis. —
Juamaine Venter (Rochester, Minn.) had so much fun scoring the game-winning goal in Saturday’s thrilling
1-0 double-overtime victory over Saint John’s, he decided to make a curtain call on Sunday.
For the second day in a row Venter scored the game’s only goal — this time in a little less-dramatic, but equaling efficient manner — as the Saint Mary’s University men’s soccer team collected its second straight 1-0 victory, dropping UW-Platteville in a nonconference game Sunday.
“It was just another amazing day,” said SMU coach Chris Dembiec. “I wasn’t sure how we would bounce back after such an emotionally draining win at Saint John’s (Saturday), but I guess we bounced back just fine.”
Thanks to Venter’s late-game heroics — and another stellar performance from goalkeeper Jon Szafranski (Barrington, Ill.)
Szafranski, the Cardinals’ all-time career saves leader, continued to enjoy a banner senior season, stopping everything the Pioneers threw at him en route to the seven-save shutout — his fifth shutout of the season.
“Jon played very well,” Dembiec said. “He kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win it in the end.”
With the score tied 0-0 in the game’s 79th minute — and SMU still trying to find a way to get its offense on track — Ryan Rademacher (La Crosse, Wis.) delivered a crossing pass that Venter headed past UW-Platteville goalkeeper Kris Bosshart.
“It was a great play all the way around,” Dembiec said of Venter’s game-winner. “Ryan made a perfect cross and Juamaine was there to head it in. We weren’t able to get too many scoring chances — Platteville did a nice job defending all day long — but when we did get that chance late, it was nice to see us convert it.”
The Cardinals, who improve to 6-8-2 overall with their second straight win — their first two-game winning streak since opening the season with back-to-back wins — return to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Tuesday, playing host to Augsburg in their final home game of the season.