Strong Knights take to field

By JEN SEAVEY

Journal Sports Editor

NEW ULM -- Mark Nolte showed a glimpse of why he was chosen last year's Upper Midwest Athletic Conference soccer player of the year in Martin Luther College's 5-2 domination of North Central College Thursday.

Sophomore Caleb Kurbis flipped the ball over his defender to Nolte, who popped it over another defender on his turn and blasted it into the net to put the Knights up 4-0 5:10 into the second half.

"With him, we can be in any game," junior sweeper/forward Nick Schmoller said, also pointing out that Curbis, a sophomore, is a returning all-conference pick. "He [Nolte] can control the midfield really well.

"We've got probably the best offense in the conference," Schmoller said. "All the guys up there can score at any time."

In another move, an MLC forward caught a bouncing ball with a bicycle kick on the right side of the goal, but the crossing pass caught no attacker for a scoring chance.

"That was a good cross, there was just nobody there for it," Nolte said. "We sometimes try to do a little too much -- we need to concentrate on easy passes, easy moves. I made that mistake a couple of times today."

The game definitely wasn't the best-executed game for the Knights, who are ranked No. 1 in the UMAC preseason poll.

The Knights took the majority of shots in the game, and had some very nice plays hit posts or get deflected, or had corner kicks carried by the wind.

"We could have finished better," Nolte said. "We need to learn how to finish when we're 1-1 with the keeper."

It's a shaky beginning to a season that has a lot of potential for MLC. The Knights return eight of their starters and the whole midfield has played together for three years, so the players feel like they have a head start on the season.

"Our chemistry is so good," Schmoller said. "We feel like we're already in mid-season form."

And although coach Paul Koelpin did have things to point out to the guys to improve on against North Central Thursday, he agrees with Schmoller.

"I don't think I've ever had it where I need to sit there and think what to tell them to do during a scrimmage," Koelpin said.

They're just that good.

Schmoller, a natural forward, came onto the team when there were so many good players, so played where he was needed -- on defense. Two years ago, the Knights went to the national tournament, so there is a good core of players who have that tough postseason experience. Last year, they ended 14-6-1.

"We've had such great seasons, it's tough to live up to expectations," Schmoller said. "This might be the year."

The Knights play next at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Wartburg.

Jen Seavey can be reached at jseavey@nujournal.com.