Hasanaj Shines in Debut as Culver-Stockton Rolls to 8-0 Victory
Canton, MO – The Culver-Stockton men’s soccer program looks to make the most of their year after opening with a dominant 8-0 win over the Waldorf Warriors. Last season, the Wildcats went 1-13-4, winless in conference play but managing one draw. This year already looks different with a commanding victory in hand.
The Wildcats battled with the Warriors until the 19:50 mark, when Ethan Wilkinson-Felgate tipped in a pass across from Irgen Hasanaj. Just two minutes later, Nils Reigenberger extended the lead with a header off a long flying ball from Nick Tjahjadi at 21:21.
Hasanaj then added a special moment of his own — his first goal in America. The freshman from Albania shared, “My favorite moment of the day was my first goal. It is my first goal here in America. I’m so excited tonight. This is my first match with this team and my first time here in America.”
Wilkinson-Felgate struck again at 33:40, assisted by Pedro Moutinho and Hasanaj. Not long after, Hasanaj netted his second goal unassisted at the 38:07 mark, giving the Wildcats a 5-0 lead at halftime. Culver-Stockton fired nine shots in the opening frame while their defense kept Waldorf without a single attempt.
Head Coach Tyler Hamilton praised the effort on both ends of the field. “It felt really good tonight. All the exhibition matches and good competition led to this, and coming into our first match we wanted to be really competitive. Even with guys coming off the bench, the level didn’t drop — and we did that tonight.”
The Wildcats stayed on the attack in the second half. Scott Jarvis opened the scoring with an unassisted goal in the 49th minute, before Xavier Pointer came off the bench to add the final two goals of the match. Culver-Stockton tallied 18 shots overall, while holding Waldorf to just three.
Hamilton noted that offensive efficiency was a key focus after last season. “Eighteen shots, 12 on goal, eight goals scored — that’s huge,” he said. “Especially after last year losing Ruben Reinertsen. We wanted to make sure finding goals was something we did quick and efficiently, and we did that tonight.”
Defense was also a point of emphasis. “At halftime, I told the guys, ‘I don’t care if we don’t score another goal the rest of the game — that number staying at zero is going to be the most important thing,’” Hamilton said. “They grinded out for 45 minutes, limited their chances, and kept it at zero. It was good to see.”
Hasanaj finished the night with two goals and two assists, leading the Wildcats’ surge. Hamilton credited his new playmaker: “We were expecting big things from him, and he really stepped up. He and a few others showed they can take us to the next level.”
Even the bench made an impact. “We didn’t want the level to drop no matter who came in,” Hamilton said. “Honestly, the energy level went up. Guys were excited to be out there, no matter where they were in the rotation.”
The Wildcats now turn their attention to upcoming non-conference tests against Hannibal-LaGrange and Harris-Stowe. Hamilton added, “We know conference is just a meat grinder. Hannibal always has a good team, it’s a sticky game for us, so we’ll be excited for that and hopefully get another win under our belt.”
Top Performers
Xavier Pointer — 2 goals
Irgen Hasanaj — 2 goals, 2 assists
Ethan Wilkinson-Felgate — 2 goals
