MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris men's soccer team fell to Crown College, 3-2, in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play on Wednesday afternoon in Morris, Minn.
 
The win improves Crown's record to 3-8-3 overall and 3-4-1 in the UMAC, while Minnesota Morris drops to 5-6-3 overall and 3-3-2 in conference play.
 
Brett Bartkowicz had an early chance for the Cougars, testing the Crown keeper in the second minute. Despite conceding five corner kicks in the opening 20 minutes, the Minnesota Morris defense held strong. Jacob Lee, Whiteaker Root, and Bartkowicz each registered shots on goal but were denied.
 
In the 38th minute, a loose ball in the Polar 18-yard box found its way to Jake Anargyros, who fired from the edge of the area and found the back of the net, giving UMM a 1-0 lead. Shortly after, Nick Isensee made his first save of the match to preserve the lead, and the Cougars went into halftime ahead 1-0.


Anargyros opened the second half with another shot, but it was stopped. Then, in a span of just four minutes, the Polars struck three times to take a 3-1 lead. Less than two minutes later, Bartkowicz connected with Burke Sheppard inside the box, and Sheppard slotted it home to cut the deficit to one.
 
In the 68th minute, Justin Page was played through on goal but was taken down by a Polar defender, resulting in a red card for Crown. Despite the man advantage, the Cougars managed only one more shot on target—an attempt by Lee—as they were unable to find the equalizer.
 
Anargyros tallied his eighth goal of the season, while Sheppard recorded his first of 2025. Bartkowicz picked up his third assist of the year. The Cougars outshot the Polars 9-5 in shots on goal, with Anargyros leading the team with three, followed by Lee and Bartkowicz with two each. Isensee finished the match with two saves.
 
Minnesota Morris returns to action on Tuesday, traveling to Bethany Lutheran College for a 7 p.m. kickoff.