HEADED AWAY — Fairmont Area goalkeeper Jack Kosbab (yellow jersey) outleaps Mankato Loyola’s Parker Jensen (third from left) and heads a Crusader shot out of harm’s way during Big South Conference soccer action Thursday at Jeffery Kot Soccer Complex in Fairmont. The Cardinals’ Isaiah Lockwood (second from left) and the Crusaders’ Ricki Callejas (far left) and teammate Gillum Sivatte (13) watch the action. (Photo by Charlie Sorrells)

FAIRMONT – Fairmont Area striker Prince Lebbi continued his torrid scoring ways to guide the Cardinal soccer team to its first victory in four outings this fall.

Lebbi produced two goals and one assist, while netkeeper Jack Kosbab recorded 14 saves to help power Fairmont Area’s 3-2 Big South Conference triumph over the Mankato Loyola Crusaders on the sod at Jeffery Kot Soccer Complex on Thursday night in Fairmont.

Lebbi was coming off a four-goal performance that helped the Cardinals salvage a 4-all tie with Southwest Minnesota Christian only 48 hours earlier.

“Hopefully, we are coining tonight as our ‘turnaround game,'” said Fairmont Area head coach Brady Meyer. “We should finally be at full strength on Tuesday after missing a couple of guys through the first four games.”

After Kosbab and Loyola goaltender Eric Rodriguez-Zamora each pitched first-half shutouts on the strength of a half-dozen saves apiece, Lebbi utilized one of his patented burst-of-speed drives through the heart of the defense before finding the precision angle for his web-finding kick.

Lebbi took an Angel Sanchez lead pass between two Crusader defenders, was bumped to his right and managed to skid a leaning release around a diving Rodriguez-Zamora for a 1-0 lead at the 35:45 juncture of the second half.

Derick Vivas Montoya, however, utilized his own curling shot off Andrew Peterson’s lofted corner kick to find space inside the left pipe for the equalizer at the 28:10 mark for Loyola.

Lebbi then displayed his deft passing touch by working the right edge, collected his own rebound off a Rodriguez-Zamora block and chipped a perfect crossing pass to Erick Gonzalez Godoy on the far left doorstep. Gonzalez Godoy headed home the go-ahead goal at the 17:28 mark.

After being fouled near the top of the box, Lebbi displayed his strong and accurate leg by hooking a direct kick off Loyola’s wall and out of Rodriguez-Zamora’s leaping reach for a 3-1 lead with 10:05 left in regulation.

Lebbi’s goal proved clutch as Vivas Montoya hammered home a penalty kick with only 1:23 left in the game to narrow the final winning margin to 3-2.

Fairmont Area (1-2-1) travels to Waseca on Tuesday night, while Mankato Loyola plays host to St. Peter.

•

Loyola 0-2-2

Fairmont 0-3-3

Scoring Plays

1st Half

No scoring.

2nd Half

FA-Prince Lebbi (Angel Sanchez), 35:45.

LOY-Derick Vivas Montoya (Andrew Peterson), 28:10.

FA-Erick Gonzalez Godoy (Prince Lebbi), 17:28.

FA-Prince Lebbi direct kick, 10:05.

LOY-Derick Vivas Montoya penalty kick, 1:23.

Shots-on-goal: Fairmont Area 6-11-17; Mankato Loyola 6-10-16. Corners: Fairmont Area 9; Loyola 6. Saves: Jack Kosbab (FA) 14; Eric Rodriguez-Zamora (LOY) 14.

•

Girls Soccer

Fairmont Area 3, Mankato Loyola 1 – Three different players reached the scoring column and netkeeper Madi Stromberg recorded nine saves to engineer the Cardinals’ two-goal victory over the Crusaders during Big South Conference action Thursday in Mankato.

Fairmont Area’s Kennedy Becker, who opened the season on the DL due to an injury, made her seasonal debut and converted Maia Goerndt’s left-to-right pass into the game’s initial goal with 9:08 remaining in the opening 40-minute half.

Kate Busche then doubled the Cardinals’ lead by taking Emma Scheppmann’s perfect crossing pass and finding the twine in the top shelf for a goal at the 5:10 juncture of the first half.

Ava Davis countered for Loyola at the 20:56 mark of the second half with a goal to narrow the home team’s gap, but Anna Utermarck later sealed Fairmont Area’s win by drilling home a corner kick for a precision goal.

Paige Olinger made nine saves for the Crusaders.

Fairmont Area (2-2) plays host to Waseca on Tuesday.

Abbie Simpson erupted for a game-best three goals and added an assist to top Fairmont Area’s 9-0 triumph over Mankato Loyola during junior varsity action Thursday in Mankato.

Mataya Weber connected for two goals and one helper for the Cardinals, while Mollie Leiding distributed two assists and netted one goal.

Abi McAdams, Ellie Perkins and Sydney Blomster each tallied one goal for Fairmont Area, while Frankie Martin, Avery Chambers and Macy Smith doled out one assist each.

Mary Bennett earned the shutout between the pipes by making two saves for the Cardinals.