The Carthage College men's soccer team (6-2-0, 0-0-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) closed out play at the seventh-annual "Battle on the Border" on Sunday night, Sept. 15 with a 2-1 win, in overtime, over Lake Forest College (2-4-0) at Art Keller Field in Kenosha, Wis. The Red Men outlasted Concordia College (Moorhead, 1-4-1), 2-1, on Saturday, Sept. 14 on the second day of the event.

After more than 70 minutes of scoreless soccer in the Lake Forest contest, Carthage's Ryan Crane (Jr., Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Lincolnshire-Stevenson) broke the deadlock with a goal at 72:05, assisted by both Austin Bitta and Taylor Pignataro. Four minutes later, Lake Forest answered with a goal by Mahir Mameledzija.

The Red Men broke the deadlock with just over a minute remaining in overtime when Austin Bitta (Fr., Libertyville, Ill.) scored his first season goal, off a goalkeeper's deflection, at 98:22. Carthage out-shot Lake Forest, 20-4. In a neutral-site tournament game, Concordia (Moorhead) defeated Robert Morris University-Lake County (0-2-0), 2-1 in double-overtime, on Friday, Sept. 13.

"I'm really excited that we were able to play so well tonight," said Carthage coach Steve Domin. "More than the result, our staff has spent a bunch of energy on our engine and ability to finish plays. Lake Forest is a quality program and to limit them to so few looks on frame was a real feat for our middle three in Ryan Crane, Atli Einarsson and Seamus Kaminski. Give credit to Lake Forest's man as he hit a once in a life time goal, which felt like it counted for two points."

"After the shock of that goal, Domin continued, "we worked out of whatever motivation they had for a few minutes and continued owning the game for long stretches. Winning our own tournament is something we take pride in. I was worried playing back-to-back games, especially following one of our worst efforts of the year yesterday. Yesterday we played poor and won, and today we played well and won. We'll take it."

Carthage travels to Dubuque, Iowa, on Thursday, Sept. 19 to play No. 4 Loras College (6-0-2) in a 5 p.m. game at the Rock Bowl. On Saturday, Sept. 21, the Red Men journey on to Waverly, Iowa for a 2 p.m. contest with Wartburg College at the Wartburg Soccer Field. Loras was ranked first and Wartburg seventh in the Sept. 17 National Soccer Coaches Association of America North Region poll.