OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The No. 13-ranked Johnson County men's soccer team looks to carry the momentum from a successful opening weekend in North Carolina, will host No. 1-ranked and defending NJCAA D-II national champion Iowa Lakes on Friday, August 30 at 8 p.m., at the JCCC Soccer Complex. JCCC will also host State Fair on Sunday evening, September 2, at 7 p.m. 

The Cavaliers enter the match after posting a 4-0 victory at Cape Fear and 3-1 win over Wake Tech last weekend in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Sophomore defender Brian Aleman and sophomore forward Caleb Brueckner were key catalysts to the Cavaliers' offense.  Aleman netted the game winning goals in both matches and added an assist on JCCC third goal in the Cape Fear win. 

Brueckner scored three goals on the weekend. He scored the second and fourth goals against Cape Fear and the final goal against Wake Tech. 

In the nets, freshman Ben Hertel got the starting nod to open the season. He stopped all four shots he faced to earn his first collegiate shutout victory and was selected the KJCCC D-II Goalkeeper of the Week.

Iowa Lakes also comes in on the heels of a pair of road victories. The Lakers opened the season with a 4-1 win at Southwestern Illinois and followed with a 5-1 victory at St. Louis.  In those two wins, Iowa Lakes was led by Haruya Higuchi, who had three goals over the two matches two of which were game winners, and Kasper Wollstein, who netted two goals along with an assist.

Last season, Iowa Lakes was 16-3-3 and won the NJCAA D-II championship against Phoenix on penalty kicks after both teams were held scoreless through regulation and two overtime periods.

This will be just the second meeting between the two programs. The Cavaliers lost to the Lakers 5-2 on September 2, 2017.