First-year forward Faris Colic scored the lone goal with a header in the 12th minute leading the St. Thomas men’s soccer team to a 1-0 win against Summit League opponent Nebraska-Omaha Saturday at South Field.
The game marked the first Division I win for the Tommies (1-11-2, 1-4 Summit).
“The guys deserve it,” coach Jon Lowery said. “I think it’s emotional because they’ve been tireless with their effort.”
Colic’s goal is his second of the season and came from a free-kick near the middle of the field. Senior defender Sam Holton whipped the ball into the 18-yard box for Colic to head into the back of the net.
“It was insane,” Colic said. “Honestly I can’t explain it. Having the lead is just what we needed and that momentum was just what we needed.”
The Mavericks (4-7-1, 2-1 Summit) had chances to score throughout the game, including one shot off of the crossbar in the 22nd minute and a big miss following a corner kick from Omaha in the 33rd minute.
Tempers flared early in the second half with two yellow cards given in two minutes. St. Thomas senior forward Josh Grzesiak and Omaha junior midfielder Tevin Rochester earned their cards with excessive challenges around midfield.
While the first half was fairly balanced, the Mavericks were more offensive in the second half. They pinned the Tommies in their own end of the field for a majority of the half. However, the Tommies were still able to apply pressure to the Mavericks with a few dangerous counter-attacks.
In the end, the Tommies were able to hold on to the 1-0 lead, securing their first win.
“Omaha is a fantastic team with great history, and I think we definitely made a statement today, and it’s a big moment for our program,” Lowery said. “We want to keep winning.”
The Tommies will be on the road Tuesday to play the UW-Milwaukee Panthers on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Derek Badger can be reached at badg7629@stthomas.edu.