Alderson scores twice, Storm hold on to beat Illinois Tech

CHICAGO, Ill. — Tanner Alderson scored two more goals and the Simpson men's soccer team withstood a late charge from Illinois Tech, holding on for a 3-2 win Sunday afternoon.

Alderson -- who was named offensive MVP of the weekend tournament -- scored twice within a four-minute span in the first half to give the Storm (2-0) a 2-0 lead at the break. His first goal came in the 27th minute and the second came in the 30th, both off assists from Colin Robinson.

Garrett Pochop scored his first goal of the season in the 55th minute to extend the lead to 3-0.

The defense was forced to step up in the second half when the Scarlet Hawks (1-1) began their late comeback with a goal from Diego Gutierrez Coronel in the 73rd minute and Brandon Bortei-Doku in the 84th. Illinois Tech outshot Simpson 10-5 in the second half.

Freshman goalkeeper Jake Potratz earned tournament defensive MVP honors after making seven saves without allowing a goal in 60-plus minutes Sunday. Pochop and Robinson were named to the all-tournament team as the Storm claimed the championship.

NEWS AND NOTES
• Alderson stayed hot, scoring a goal for his fifth straight contest dating back to last season. The sophomore now has 12 goals in the last nine games.

• Pochop scored the 33rd goal of his career and needs just 10 to become the program's career leader. Mitchell White holds the record with 42 goals from 2011-14.

• Simpson is off to a 2-0 start for the third straight season.

UP NEXT
The Storm head to Northfield, Minn. on Saturday, Sept. 9 to try to continue their winning streak against the Carleton Knights. Start time is set for 3:30 p.m.