RIVER FOREST, Ill. – On a sunny afternoon at Concordia Stadium, the Concordia University Chicago men's soccer team hosted the Sabres of Marian University. The Cougars took the lead in the first half and never gave it up, winning 3-2. Concordia is now 3-8 (2-5 NACC).
Inside the Box
- Eleven Cougars combined for 21 shots throughout the game.
- Omar Figueroa (Chicago, Ill.) took it himself and scored in the 15th minute.
- Xavier Avila (Berwyn, Ill.) blasted one over the keeper and into the net in the 31st minute.
- Julian Yanez (Cicero, Ill.) tapped the ball in the 81st minute.
How it Happened
The Cougars and Sabres battled back and forth, each team building their way up the field. In the tenth minute,
Garrett Poynter (Noblesville, Ind.) blasted the ball toward the goal, but the Sabres' goalkeeper was able to keep it out. The Cougars continued to pounce on their opportunities and were rewarded in the 15
th minute. Figueroa picked up a loose ball, dribbled passed multiple defenders, and slid the ball past the goalkeeper to go up 1-0.
Concordia, hungry for more, created multiple offensive chances, with
Spencer Nicholson (Fort Collins, Colo.) and
Alexander Lechowicz (Chicago, Ill.) forcing saves from the Sabres' goalkeeper. The Cougars were rewarded again in the 31
st minute.
Justin Ibarez (Chicago, Ill.) centered the ball to Avila. Avila had wide open space and blasted a long range shot that went up and over the goalkeeper's head and doubled the Cougars lead, 2-0.
Nethan Gudiel (Chicago, Ill.) made two important saves in the first half to keep the 2-0 lead at the break. In the second half, the Cougars and Sabres battled back and forth for the first 30 minutes. Concordia created multiple chances up top, but it was the Sabres who finally found the back of the net in the 76th minute. The Cougars responded quickly in the 81st minute.
Vicente Romero (Crystal Lake, Ill.) lofted a corner kick into the box, which
Ronaldo Joseph (Mt. Rush, St. George's, Granada) brought down, and Yanez was able to tap in to increase the lead again, 3-1.
The Sabres were able to nab another goal with 17 seconds left on the clock, but it wasn't enough, and the Cougars held on to win 3-2.
The Cougars next game will be Sunday October 13 at 12:00 pm. Concordia hosts Milwaukee School of Engineering. Coverage can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.
