Sasaki, Mustangs dominate again

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Yu Sasaki scored three times, making it four straight games with a goal to start the season, as the Mount Mercy men's soccer team routed Iowa Wesleyan, 6-1, in a non-conference NAIA match on Tuesday night at Hadzic Field at the Robert W. Plaster Athletic Complex.

Sasaki, who has scored three goals in a game twice already this season, started things off against the Tigers (0-5-0) with goals in the 13th and 35th minutes. An own goal by Iowa Wesleyan made it 3-0 at the half. Sasaki struck again in the 63rd minute -- his eighth goal of the season -- before Carlos Mateo got the Tigers on the board less than two minutes later.

Itsuki Ishihara (71') and Adin Turanovic (83') finished off the scoring. Oguzhan Bozkan had two assists, the first on Sasaki's initial score and the second set up Ishihara. Jordan Webb assisted the Turanovic goal late in the match. Jose Perez Piqueras had two saves for the Mustangs, who put 17 shots on goal compared to three for the Tigers.

Mount Mercy (3-1-0) wraps up non-conference play on Saturday when they host Hannibal-LaGrange at 4:30 pm. The difficult Heart of America Athletic Conference season opens on Tuesday, Sept. 14, when the Mustangs travel to Des Moines to take on Grand View at 7:30 pm at the Cownie Complex.