FAIRMONT — Bryant Armitage probably fell asleep several hours after Friday night’s Big South Conference game at Jeffery Kot Soccer Complex by counting shots on goal.

Fairmont Area senior netminder produced 20 saves, but even Armitage’s incredible game-best defensive total wasn’t enough to deny the Marshall Tigers a victory.

Senior midfielder Abdulahi Omar generated two goals during a two-minute span in the opening half to help the visiting Tigers scratch out a 2-0 league triumph over the Cardinals.

“What a great game between the pipes by Bryant tonight,” said Fairmont Area head coach Brady Meyer. “He definitely put in a full day’s work against Marshall.”

Armitage demonstrated his quick reflexes and eye-to-hand speed by stonewalling Marshall midfielders Isaac Correa and Ariel Ramon Ramos during the initial nine minutes of the opening half.

Ramos proved the Tigers’ quarterback by working the right wing before sending a crossing pass to Correa along the left point. Correa blasted a liner that Armitage caught at the 32:30 juncture.

Ramos later weaved his way from right to left to the point before unleashing a curling spinner that Armitage closed the gap on by sliding quickly to his left with 31 minutes to go in the first half.

Ramos’ back-to-back corner kicks — two of the Tigers’ 11-4 edge over the Cardinals in that category — created scoring chances that Omar converted nearing the midway juncture.

Ramos drove the right end line before flitering a pass to Omar in the middle of a scrum in the box. Omar juked before sliding a shot under a diving Armitage for a 1-0 lead at the 25:14 juncture. Omar weaved his way through more traffic at the 23:11 mark to eventually find the net off a doorstep kick near the left wing.

Armitage then reeled off 11 of his 13 first-half stops to keep the Tigers off the scoreboard before adding seven more in the second half.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals managed only Isaiah Lebbi’s head-on rush that Tigers’ netminder Tristan VanDeVere challenged and swept away with 17:41 showing in the opening segment before Joshua Bergt added the second of the home team’s four total shots on goal for the night.

Bergt worked the right endline before lofting a floater that VanDeVere made a nice backpedaling catch on with three minutes to go before intermission.

Jackson Francis, Jackson Utermarck, Cole Christopher, Eli Broomfield and Carson Pomerenke contributed solid defensive performances to complement Armitage’s stellar night of stops.

VanDeVere made three saves in the opening half before Carlos Reyes stopped the only shot on goal he faced during the second segment for the Tigers.

Fairmont Area (0-5-2) travels to Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall on Tuesday night for a 6:45 p.m. repeat match against the Tigers (2-0-3).

Marshall 2-0–2

Fairmont 0-0–0

Scoring Plays

1st Half

MAR–Abdulahi Omar (Ariel Ramon Ramos), 25:14.

MAR–Abdulahi Omar (unassisted), 23:11.

2nd Half

No scoring.

Shots on goal: Marshall 15-7–22; Fairmont Area 3-1–4. Corners: Marshall 8-3–11; Fairmont Area 0-4–4.

Saves: Bryant Armitage (FA) 13-7–20; Tristan VanDeVere (MAR) 3-x-3, Carlos Reyes (MAR) x-1–1.

Marshall posted a 4-2 victory over Fairmont Area during junior varsity action Friday night at Jeffery Kot Soccer Complex.

Jack Sadusky converted a penalty kick into a goal and distributed an assist on Cardinal teammate Isaiah Lockwood’s goal.

Lockwood and Matthew Malo combined to share the netminding duties for Fairmont Area.

Girls Soccer

Fairmont Area 2, Marshall 0 — The Cardinals produced a 17-4 shots-on-goal advantage to pace a 2-0 Big South Conference triumph over the Tigers on Friday night at the Southwest Minnesota State University turf field in Marshall.

Cadence Becker netted the shutout by recording four saves during the two 40-minute halves for Fairmont Area.

Striker Rayah Quiring needed only 2 1/2 minutes into the second half to break the offensive ice for the Cardinals. Quiring headed the soccer ball into the twine off a corner-kick assist by Brooklyn Meyer for a 1-0 Fairmont Area margin.

Selma Bleess reached the scoring column for the Cardinals by cashing in an assist from Maddie Maakestad for a 2-0 lead with 19:09 remaining in regulation.

Fairmont Area (4-2-1) plays host to Marshall in a repeat conference matchup at 7 p.m. Tuesday night.