­­SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Carthage College men's soccer, number six in the Central region, used another late goal to defeat the University of St. Thomas, number eight in the North region, at the Tommies' O'Shaughnessy Stadium Wednesday afternoon.
 
"I know it's our philosophy to put our guys up against a grinding schedule annually," said men's soccer head coach Steve Domin but this year really has been a battle compounded by the distances we have travelled."
 
The win moves the Red Men to 7-4-1 overall and will return to the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin at 1-0 Saturday. 
 
"Today we played really attractive soccer for much of the game," remarked Domin, "and when Austin Bitta, Ivan Chavez, Stefano Dolomas and Nathaniel Michaelis added a dimension of sharing the ball in different ways they were special to watch in the middle. And when we didn't play well during a handful of minutes in the second half we were more lucky than good."
 
Through regulation, Carthage and St. Thomas combined for only five total shots on goal out of the 17 total over 90 minutes.  The Tommies defense played tough not allowing a single shot on goal until Kevin Mahoney earned Carthage's first in the 80th minute.  Carthage had several building opportunities that didn't yield quality shots on frame.
 
Carthage then continued to keep the pressure up when the Red Men earned a free kick deep in the Tommies half.  After Carthage's first attempt was headed away and the follow-up shot by Austin Bitta was saved to even the shots on goal at two apiece.
 
Moments later Carthage earned another chance and called on their long throw-in specialist to step up.
 
With just over a minute left, Jamie Tausend served a long throw-in into the box.  Freshman defender Giles Phillips flicked the header toward the top of the six where Johnny Rimkus rose and headed the ball narrowly under the crossbar and out of the reach of the defender guarding the goal line as he covered for the scrambling UST goalkeeper giving the Red Men the 1-0 lead in the 89th minute.
 
The Tommies didn't roll over, earning a corner kick for which they threw everyone, including the goalkeeper, into the box and nearly got the equalizer if not for a goal line clearance by the Carthage defense with a couple of second remaining.
 
For Rimkus it is his team-leading sixth goal of the season and now has 13 points on the year.  The goal is also his second game-winner in as many matches for Rimkus who headed in the winner Saturday night in overtime to give the Red Men a 1-0 start in conference play with the game's lone goal against North Central College.
 
"We are really starting to become the Cardiac Kids.  Using all the minutes, succeeding in late parts of games, and dodging bullets appropriately."
 
Also serving up a repeat performance was freshman goalkeeper Evan Bott who earned his second consecutive shutout after making two saves in the match.
 
The Red Men will now return to CCIW play and begin a five-game stretch of conference matches beginning with Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, Saturday at 6:00 PM.  The match is slated as part of a doubleheader following the Lady Reds at IWU, which is set for a 3:00 PM start from Neis Soccer Field.