The Lake Forest College men's soccer team edged out visiting Carroll University 1-0 on Wednesday. A goal by junior Mahir Mameledzija was all the Foresters needed to raise their Midwest Conference record to 6-1-0 and move into first place in the league standings.
Lake Forest was outshot 5-2 in the first half but the game still scoreless than in large part to four saves by senior goalkeeper Ethan Guenther, who added two stops in the second half and recorded his sixth shutout of the season. Guenther has actually kept opponents off the scoreboard in eight of 10 starts this season, including the last three, and improved his goals against average to 0.32 and save percentage to .919. He entered the week ranked eighth in the nation in both categories.
Mameledzija, who started the week leading the nation in goals, goals per game, and points per game, struck for the 20th time this season at the 64:47 mark. Forester junior Charlie Brey kicked the ball ahead and the Carroll defense allowed it get to the goalkeeper. Mameledzija arrived at the same time, the ball bounced away just a few feet, and he was able to get enough foot on the ball to sneak it past the goalie and slowly toward the goal and into the net. He is now just one shy of the Foresters' single-season record of 21 goals set by Bryan Porto in 1969. He's still five away from Porto's record 48 points from that same season.
Lake Forest is now 10-2-1 overall this season and their 6-1-0 mark in conference play is slightly better than Carroll's 5-1-0. The Pioneers are 7-6-0 overall.
The Foresters will continue league play at home against Knox College (5-5-2, 1-2-2 MWC) on Saturday. The game will begin at 3:30 p.m.
