Concordia University Chicago Athletics

ROCK ISLAND, ILL. - The Concordia University Chicago men's soccer team took the road for the first time this season, facing Augustana College in a non-conference matchup. The Cougars fell behind early, but were able to battle back and force the Vikings to play defense throughout the match, eventually drawing 1-1.

Inside the Box

• Pierre Balderas (Tlaxcala, Mexico) led the offense with one shot on goal off two total shots. 
• Nethan Gudiel (Chicago, Ill.) played all 90 minutes in goal picking up four saves. 
• Four additional Cougars played the entire game in Daniel Gutierrez (Chicago, Ill.), Juan Avalos (Chicago, Ill.), Andre Wangandu (Lansing, Mich.), Victor Camacho (Chicago, Ill.). 

First Half

• CUC was forced to battle back after letting up an early goal, creating several chances throughout the opening half.
• Alexander Barrera (Chicago, Ill.) led the Cougars' offensive attack with two first-half shots, while Balderas and Camacho also registered attempts.
• The Cougars earned a corner kick and continued to pressure the Augustana defense as the half progressed.
• Late in the half, Gudiel kept the Cougars within striking distance, making a save on an Augustana scoring chance.
• The Cougars entered halftime trailing 1-0.

Second Half

• CUC came out with renewed energy in the second half, creating several early scoring opportunities as they looked to erase the deficit.
• Ronald Bardales (Zion, Ill.) put an early shot on target, forcing the Augustana goalkeeper to make a save, while Camacho and Leonardo Pedraza (Waukegan, Ill.) added additional attempts.
• Pedraza came particularly close to putting CUC ahead, hitting the crossbar on a shot midway through the second half.
• The Cougars continued to apply pressure, with Giovanni Flores (Chicago, Ill.) adding another shot before Concordia Chicago finally broke through.
• In the 77th minute, the Cougars found the equalizer off a free kick outside the box, bringing the match level at one apiece.
• CUC continued to push for the go-ahead goal, earning multiple corner kicks and creating another strong chance when Balderas forced a save late in the match.
• The Cougars ultimately settled for the draw with their second-half pressure helping erase the early deficit.

What's Next
CUC will be back on their home field on Friday, September 11th as they host Governors State University for a 2:00 PM kickoff at Concordia Stadium. Coverage for this game and all things CUC Men's Soccer can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.