Pride score in each half to earn 2-0 win over Midland

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Getting their first taste of home cooking in the 2025 season, the No. 23 Clarke University men's soccer team remained undefeated to start the season with a 2-0 win over Midland University at Burrows Field on Thursday evening.

Hosting a team that had outscored their first two opponents by a combined 4-0, including a 1-0 road win for the Warriors against No. 16 Oklahoma City University, the Pride stifled MU to Clarke's first shutout of the season despite the shots finishing at an even 14-14.

CU goalkeeper Lucas Fontana was tested early, making four saves in the first half and only needing to make one in the second 45 minutes to move to 1-0-1 in net for the Pride.

Crosses would be how th Pride would find the back of the net as Javi Munoz would get a foot on a first-touch cross from Xzavier Campa after he was put into space by Yuto Nishio to make it 1-0 in the 24th minute for the first points of the season for all three players involved in the play.

The final blow came in the final moments of the game when Clarke would earn a free kick that was the equivalent of a corner kick from the left corner where William Arana would serve a ball into the box where Alvaro Martinez would use his 6-5 frame to leap and get his head to the cross and find the back of the net, essentially icing the game for the CU win in the 89th minute for Martinez's first goal of the season and Arana's first assist.

Aiding Fontana's shutout was a quality performance from the Clarke back line that included three 90-minute performances from center backs Nearco Zamorano and Carles Aparisi as well as Campa playing 90 minutes at left back while Daniel Valverde played 79 of the possible 90 minutes at right back.

Clarke men's soccer will play their next game at home as well when they welcome Bellevue University to Burrows Field on Saturday, Aug. 30 for a 7:00 p.m. CT start against the Bruins.