GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.—The Carthage College men's soccer team's opening-round match of the 2018 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament pitted them against UW-Platteville at the Zuidema Soccer Field on the campus of Calvin College for a Friday-evening affair. The Red Men and Pioneers entered Friday's bout in unfamiliar territory as they've only faced each other five times, with the most recent affair in 2010. UW-Platteville, who faced the Red Men off nine day's rest, came back from a 1-0 halftime deficit with four unanswered second-half goals en route to a 4-1 victory.
 
"Frankly the result is disappointing, particularly since we had a handle on the match," said Red Men head soccer coach Steve Domin. "I think if we score any of those goals we left out there in the first half, UW-Platteville may just go away. Credit to them and really Logan (Rinderknecht).  He put in three goals essentially by himself, and was a part of the other.  Getting two goals in a countering manner took the steam out of us.   I almost can't believe it happened that way."
 
Carthage ends the 2018 season with a 12-9-1, 5-2-1 CCIW record while UW-Platteville advances to the 2018 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament Second Round vs. Calvin College tomorrow with a 13-2-3 overall record.
 
UW-Platteville 4, Red Men 1
 
The Red Men held a 16-10 edge in shots over the Pioneers in the contest. One of those belonged to Jerry Patino, who set the tone when he took a flick from Kevin Mahoney that trickled off a Platteville defender at the 20-yard line, where he fired a shot past Platteville goalkeeper Nate Miller in the 42^nd minute to make the score 1-0.
 
Carthage peppered the Pioneers for an 11-6 shots advantage in the second half, but were the victim of four unanswered goals in the 52^nd, 56^th, 69^th and 85^th minutes. Three of those goals belonged to Logan Rinderknecht, while Nick Hoklas notched the other one.
 
Red Men goalkeeper Niko Mavrogiannis notched a pair of saves in a complete-game effort, and his counterpart Nate Miller stopped six shots over 90:00 for UW-Platteville.
 
The loss marked the final collegiate game for seniors Kyle Mueller, Niko Mavrogiannis, Alberto Eloyza, Adrian Herrera, Kevin Mahoney, Juan Marban, Lucas Maaske, Devin Wermuth, Tyler Holentunder, Andrew Senkbeil and Colton Walter.
 
"We did our fair share of over-achieving and proud to have coached and been around this group and our seniors," said Domin.  "We will never forget their era and mark on Carthage athletics.  They made three NCAA tournaments and won several CCIW championships."