Penalty Kick Lifts Central Men’s Soccer Team Against Cornell

A converted penalty kick in the 89th minute by defender Spencer Taylor broke the tie as the Central College men’s soccer team defeated Cornell College 2-1.

The game-winner was Taylor’s team leading third goal of the season. The Dutch (3-3-1) opened the scoring in the 12th minute when defender Alejo Marcon scored his second goal of the season off an assist from Coleman Manuel. Central outshot the Rams 11-9, while only allowing two of their shots to be on target. Morgan Finkenbinder got his second career start as the goalkeeper and picked up his first win.

The Dutch return to the pitch on Saturday opening up American Rivers Conference play against Simpson College at 3:30 p.m. on the A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex soccer field.

Central Men’s Golf Coach Mel Blasi Receives Illinois High School Honor

Central College men’s golf coach Mel Blasi will be inducted into the Monmouth-Roseville Foundation Hall of Achievement in Monmouth, Illinois this weekend.

Blasi will be at Monmouth-Roseville High School for an assembly, homecoming parade, and football game on Friday. He’ll be among four honorees at an induction ceremony Saturday at 10 am. Blasi helped lead the 1981-82 Monmouth boys basketball team, which won 25 consecutive games before dropping the Class A state title game. He also finished seventh at the 1980 Illinois state golf tourney, leading Monmouth to a third-place finish. Blasi later coached the 1995 Monmouth squad that claimed a state crown.

After 21 seasons as head coach at Western Illinois University, Blasi joined the Central staff in 2018. His Central squads have posted top-three American Rivers Conference team finishes each season of his tenure. He’s had eight players receive all-conference distinction. At Western Illinois, Blasi’s teams secured 26 tournament titles and he also coached the school’s first two Division I All-American performers. 

A Burlington, Iowa native, Blasi is a Western Illinois graduate and a former Mid-Continent Universities Conference player of the year.