FULL SPEED AHEAD — Fairmont Area midfielder Ben Heinze (12) maneuvers the soccer ball up the field during Big South Conference action at Jeffery Kot Soccer Complex in Fairmont. Cardinal teammate Jack Sadusky watches Heinze’s progress on the play. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — The Fairmont Area boys soccer team put the heat on during the final five minutes of its Big South Conference clash with the New Ulm Eagles on Tuesday, but never scored the equalizing goal in a 2-1 defeat at Jeffery Kot Soccer Complex in Fairmont.

The Eagles used precise passing to dominate the shots on net, putting 17 shots toward the goal in the first half and 12 more in the second half for a total of 29.

The Cardinals, playing without leading scorer Prince Lebbi, finished with three shots in the first half and picked up their intensity level in the second half, collecting 10 shots. They had seven shots on net.

“We practice passing a lot during the season and I was happy with our passing tonight,” New Ulm head coach Dave Dake said. “It’s nice to play a team like Fairmont because you need to play a good game to beat them.”

“We just got quick with our passing and didn’t capitalize on those passes tonight until late in the game,” Fairmont head coach Brady Meyer said. “We ran out of time.”

The Eagles scored a goal in each half to lead 2-0. On the first goal at the 22:59 mark of the first half, Leo Waloch’s initial shot was saved, but Nils Quist tapped in the rebound.

The Eagles’ second goal at the 15:28 mark of the second half was a repeat of their first tally. Quist’s first shot was saved, but Brennan Shaver scored on the rebound to make it 2-0.

The Cardinals started applying offensive pressure with five minutes left.

The pressure paid off as Jack Sadusky scored an unassisted goal with 4:05 left to bring the home team within striking distance.

They kept up the pressure, but couldn’t get the tying goal.

Fairmont Area goalkeeper Jack Kosbab made two sprawling saves in the second half to keep the Cardinals in the game.

New Ulm could have enjoyed a 4-0 lead without Kosbab’s saves.

The Cardinals (3-6-1) travel to Edgerton to play Southwest Minnesota Christian at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

NU 1-1–2

FA 0-1–1

Scoring Plays

1st Half

NU–Nils Quist (Leo Waloch), 22:59.

2nd Half

NU–Brennan Shaver (Nils Quist), 15:28.

FA–Jack Sadusky (unassisted), 4:05.

Shots-on-goal: New Ulm 10-7–17; Fairmont Area 2-5–7. Corners: New Ulm 3, Fairmont Area 3.

Saves: Ethan Goff (NU) 6; Jack Kosbab (FA) 15.

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New Ulm 4, Fairmont Area 3 — Bryn Nesvold produced a game-leading hat trick — capped by the eventual game-winning goal with 3:34 remaining in regulation — to steer the Eagles to a one-goal triumph over the Cardinals during Big South Conference action Tuesday night in New Ulm.

New Ulm avenged a 4-1 loss to Fairmont Area during the first of the programs’ two-game regular-season series on Aug. 29 at Kot Soccer Complex in Fairmont.

Nesvold generated the only goal of the opening 40-minute half before the Cardinals’ Emma Scheppmann knotted the game at 1-all by netting an unassisted goal at the 37:30 juncture of the second segment.

Nesvold then recaptured the lead for the Eagles with another unassisted twine-finding shot at the 30:40 mark before teammate Piper Kapolzynski widened the gap to 3-1 with an unassisted tally with 21:33 remaining.

Elayna Anderson sliced Fairmont Area’s deficit to 3-2 by cashing in an assist from Kennedy Becker at the 10:17 mark. Becker then produced the equalizer off a pass from Anna Utermarck with 5:14 to go in regulation.

Nesvold, however, snapped the 3-all deadlock by finding the net with 3:34 remaining in the second half and the Eagles held on for the win.

Ariana Dreyer made 15 saves for the Eagles to merit the victory between the pipes, while Madi Stromberg turned away 11 shots for the Cardinals.

Fairmont Area (5-6) plays host to Mankato East at 7 p.m. Thursday night at Kot Soccer Complex in Fairmont in a nonconference competition.

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Netkeeper Mary Bennett made seven saves to earn the shutout as the Fairmont Area Cardinals topped the New Ulm Eagles, 2-0, in junior varsity action Tuesday night in New Ulm.

Alex Martin hammered home a penalty kick to account for the Cardinals’ initial goal before teammate Karissa Newville contributed an unassisted goal.