SCHERERVILLE, Ind. -- The Falcons (3-0-0) picked up their third straight clean sheet, a 6-0 result in the first match of the Crimson Wave Invitational over Iowa Wesleyan (1-1-0). The seventh-ranked (NAIA Preseason Coaches' Poll) Falcons outshooting their opponent 21-2, for the game, coasted to the victory despite only scoring a single goal in the opening period. (Game Audio) (Box)

“The decision to attend a couple of tournaments for the first two weekends of the season is paying dividends.” Coach Michael “Mac” Mc Bride said. “The challenge for us today was we played a team we really knew very little about, they're from a different region. The game also was a battle with another challenging pitch, not dissimilar to Rio Grande.” 

#Jacob Sheppard#, a sophomore center back from Brampton, Ont. Picked up his first goal of the season when his powering header found the back of the net at the 11:01 mark. Sheppard followed up on #Steven Kane# header off the Tigers' crossbar from an NDC corner. 

Kane, a senior forward from Hillsdale, Ohio, became the benefactor of some quality Falcon soccer just after the break. #Tom Mellor#, a sophomore midfielder from Shaw, England would beat his marker out on the left flank feeding #Luke Holmes# at the top of the box. Holmes' smart touch onto the charging Kane putting him in behind the Tigers' back line. Kane, would finish the play with a powerful strike doubling the Falcons lead. 

At the 51:04 mark Kane and Holmes would reconnect giving Kane his brace and Holmes' second assist. 

Holmes, a junior forward from Oldham, England lined up a strike from distance placing the ball in the lower corner past the reach of the Tigers keeper at the 52:22 mark for his first goal of the match.
#Ryan McGreevy#, a freshman forward from Salford, England make an unlikely impact to the match when he came on replacing Kane at 56:27. McGreevy's quick reaction would prevent the Tigers from scoring the first goal against the Falcons defense off a Tiger corner kick. 

McGreevy would create the next Falcon goal after beating two Tigers defenders down the right flank he sent a ball to the six. Before Holmes could turn and strike the ball at goal a Tiger defender would breing him down, earning the Falcons a spot kick. Holmes would step-up and convert his first PK of the season and his sight straight earning him his second goal of the game, extending the Falcons lead to five goals in the 65th minute. 

Seven minutes from the final whistle, McGreevy, took matters into his own feet and extended the NDC lead to an insurmountable six goals for his first collegiate goal. 

#Alex Klein#, a junior goalkeeper from Frankfurt, Germany, went the distance and earned his third straight shutout making one save. 



NOTES FROM THE NEST … 

HISTORY LESSON: NDC kicked off their first campaign Sept. 4, 2001 with a 2-5 loss to Tiffin. The next time the Falcons would play a Sept. 4 match in 2004 they would drop a 0-1 result to Otterbein in the first game of the Wittenberg Classic. The 6-0 win for the Falcons over Iowa Wesleyan on Sept. 4, 2010 marks their first win on a Sept. 4 in school history. 

TRIPLE DIP: NDC made it three straight clean sheets to open a season for the first time since 2005, the first year the Falcons made it to the NAIA National Tournament. During the 2005 season the Falcons kept nine clean sheets a school record. 

DEEP AND WIDE: The Falcons played 22 players in their opening match of the Calumet College Crimson Wave Invitational. For the year NDC has played 25 different players after their first three matches.

GOOOOOOOOAL: NDC opened the 2002 by scoring 32 goals in their first two games with back to back shutouts against Lake Erie, 19-0 and Pitt-Bradford, 13-0. 

A LOOK AHEAD -- Notre Dame plays the host, Calumet College of St. Joseph (1-2-0) for the championship of the Crimson Wave Invitational. Calumet College defeated Marygrove (1-2-0) 4-0 in the first game. The Falcons' First whistle is at 5:00 p.m. (EST) on Sunday for the tournaments championship.