After a rough start to the season before CCAC play, Saint Xavier’s men’s soccer has not lost in three conference matchups. After two draws against Trinity International University and Purdue University Northwest, the Cougars triumphed over conference rival University of Saint Francis 2-0.
A chilly Tuesday evening did not slow down Saint Xavier’s quest for its first victory on the season at Bruce R. Deaton Memorial Field. The Cougars were relentless on attack and defense, as the Fighting Saints struggled to create any kind of consistency.
After a scoreless first half, Saint Xavier emerged out of the locker room with an aggressive mindset. Sophomore Danny Lopez was tripped up in front of the Fighting Saints goalie just two minutes into the half.
Lopez was awarded a penalty kick and emphatically converted to put the men ahead 1-0. The Cougars kept their foot on the gas and were quickly awarded with another scoring chance just 10 minutes later.
In the 58th minute, sophomore Mike McLaughlin set up a pretty feed to senior Kamil Szczesniak, who was able to beat the Saint Francis goalie and padded the Cougar lead to two.
Saint Xavier would not look back, as the men maintained an up-tempo style of play throughout the rest of the contest. Saint Francis had a quality scoring chance late, but an impressive diving kick save by freshman defender Michael Gutierrez in the 88th minute preserved Frank Valle’s shutout.
The Cougars outshot the Fighting Saints 11-3, while limiting their opponent to just one shot on goal. Orlando Tapia, Kamil Szczesniak, Farai Tsingano, Mike McLaughlin and Danny Lopez each contributed to Saint Xavier’s eight shots on goal.
The win improves the Cougars’ record to 1-6-2 overall and 1-0-2 in the CCAC. Saint Xavier’s next match is at home on Saturday, October 1 at 8:00 PM against Judson University.
Mike Rankin
Senior Sports Editor