The past week will not be one SXU soccer will want to remember.
Both the men and women’s team returned home to face Cardinal Stritch University (CSU) and Judson University, respectively. After getting their first win of the season and drawing their last game, Coach Strehlau and his team looked to continue their positive run.
However, Cardinal Stritch made easy work of Saint Xavier.
Cardinal Strich put the game out of reach before the end of the first-half by scoring three goals in a span of twenty five minutes. Katie Golabowski opened up the score sheet via a header off a corner in the 23rd minute. Less than ten minutes later, Marisol Kroencke tallies the second off an assist from Jacquline Wilhelm.
The dagger came in the dying moments of the first-half. Golabowski got her second goal off another header from a corner.
Cardinal Stritch tacked on a fourth early in the second-half. Kroencke would get a brace of her own, finding the back of the net off a rebound. SXU mustered a total of three shots with Hannah Bressner, senior, and Brooke Medjrich, junior, having a shot on goal each. All three shots came in the second-half.
The Cougar defense struggled as they allowed fifteen shots to CSU. Despite allowing four goals, Carly Bledose managed to make six saves. It was more of the same against Judson University as Saint Xavier fell 3-1.
Adela Pelayo scored within three minutes to put the Eagles ahead and Yulissa Solis tallied on a second in the 37th minute off a penalty kick. Junior midfielder, Brooke Medjrich, pulled one back for the Cougars in the second-half. Saint Xavier nearly tied the game with their only other shot of the half. Judson put the game out of reach as Solis scored her second of the game in the 88th minute. Starting her second-straight game, Bledsoe had five saves on the day giving her a combined eleven saves.
With both losses, Saint Xavier’s record falls to 1-6-3, includind 1-2-1 in conference play.
The Cougars will look to get back on track against Calumet St. Joseph on Oct. 4 at 6pm at Deaton Field. The men’s team fared better but still fell to their counterparts from Cardinal Stritch. Michael Gutierrez, sophomore, broke the deadlock in the 28th minute off a pass from Elliot Kettle, junior, and gave Saint Xavier a 1-0 lead. However, ten minutes later, Teren Schuster would bring Cardinal Stricth level. The two teams entered the half tied at one.
The score remained the same until the 52nd minute when Liam Haywood scored giving the opponenst a 2-1 lead. The game would settle into a lull being interrupted only by fouls and substitutions. In the 80th minute, Cardinal Stritch would put the game out of reach. Liam Haywood capped off the night, slotting a free-kick past the goalkeeper giving him a brace and a 3-1 win.
Any hope of late Saint Xavier heroics was all but dashed when junior midfielder, Danny Lopez, was shown a red. This was Lopez’s second red card of the season. Frank Valle faced a total of fifteen shots resulting in three saves. Saint Xavier were held to six shots with two of those coming in the second half.
The first half was evenly matched between the two teams. Saint Xavier were able to take the lead but did not have another shot on goal after Gutierrez’s goal. Vucinic and his team may feel hard done considering Cardinal Stritch’s second goal ricocheted off the post.
Similar to the women’s team, the men’s team also lost 3-1 to Judson University. The Cougars did well to hold Judson as the two teams played to a scoreless first-half. However, Bruno Haianon scored for Judson in the 60th minute giving them a 1-0 lead. Victor Piccirilo added a second for Judson in the 84th. Michael Gutierrez scored his second goal in as many games to cut the lead to one. A minute later, Piccirilo scored his second of the game for the 3-1 win.
Defensively, Vucinic’s team allowed too many shots. Judson had a total of fifteen shots, fourteen of those coming in the second-half. Compare that to Saint Xavier’s two. Valle added four more saves giving him a combined seven saves for the week.
With Saint Xavier’s stumbles, their record falls to 4-6, including 1-3 in conferenc play. The men’s team return home to play Calumet St. Joseph on Oct. 3 at 7pm.
Ernesto Hernandez
Sports Columnist