FOREST CITY, Iowa -- Senior Tobias Maertzke's 32nd minute goal lifted the Bellevue University men's soccer team to a 1-0 victory in the regular season finale at Waldorf College on Saturday afternoon in North Star Athletic Association action.
The game, between the top two teams in the North Star, acted as a de facto regular season championship match as Waldorf entered 3-0-0 in conference play while Bellevue was 2-0-1. Waldorf would have needed a draw or a win to claim the out-right title while Bellevue entered the match needing a victory.
The conference championship is the Bruins' ninth regular season title all-time and second in a row.
Bellevue dominated possession and the offensive chances in the opening 45 minutes building a sizable 13-1 advantage in shots and out-gaining Waldorf in corner kicks by a 5-1 margin. However, they would have to wait until Maertzke's 32nd minute goal to break through to grab a 1-0 lead. The unassisted goal was his team-leading eighth of the season for Maertzke.
Waldorf had more of the chances in the second half but couldn't come up with the equalizer, owing to five Bruin saves. Junior Ben Martin made four stops and the Bruins defense accounted for one team save as Bellevue staved off the Warriors, despite being out-shot 9-6 in the second period.
BU held a 19-10 advantage in shots for the match, putting just two on goal compare to five for Waldorf. The Bruins also won eight corners, compared to two for the Warriors.
Bellevue is now unbeaten (11-0-1) in their last 12 conference matches. Their last conference loss came during the 2013 season when they fell to Oklahoma Wesleyan in the now-defunct MCAC.
The Bruins (9-3-4/3-0-1 NSAA) will have some rest before returning to the pitch. Their next match will come in the semi-final round of the NSAA Tournament on Friday. Game times, seeding, and match-ups will be announced at a later date.
