JOLIET, Ill. - Cardinal Stritch (WI) snapped a 2-2 tie with a little less than 10 minutes remaining in the game to post a 3-2 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference men's soccer win over University of St. Francis Wednesday afternoon at the Galowich YMCA field.
The loss was USF's fourth in a row and put the Saints on the brink of elimination from contention for a spot in the six-team CCAC Championship Tournament which begins on Nov. 7.
USF (6-9-2, 3-5-1) scored first in the game when freshman forward Victor Trujillo (De La Salle Institute/Chicago, IL) connected from about 15 feet in front of the net off a corner kick assist from junior Mike Healy (Smithport H.S./Smithport, PA) in the game's seventh minute.
CSU came back to tie the score on a goal in the 24th minute and then grabbed a 2-1 lead with a goal in the 37th minute.
The Saints rallied to tie the score at 2-2 13 minutes into the second half when junior midfielder Luis Escorza (Plainfield Central H.S./Joliet, IL) scored off a pass from sophomore midfielder Damien Silva (Plainfield North H.S./Plainfield, IL).
The teams battled back-and-forth before Stritch slipped the game-winner into the net in the 81st minute.
USF was hampered by injuries and illness in this critical game. Trujillo, the Saints' leading scorer with 8 goals on the season, left the game in the first half with a leg injury and did not return. Freshman sweeper Michael Kowal (Neuqua Valley H.S./Plainfield, IL), one of USF's top defenders, left the game for good midway through the first half with flu-like symptoms. Starting midfielder Ricky Navarro (Plainfield North H.S./Plainfield, IL) missed his second straight game with an injury as did sophomore goalkeeper Juan Santoliva (Bradley-Bourbonnais H.S./Bourbonnais, IL).
CSU recorded 13 shots on goal compared to just 4 for USF. The Saints were limited to just a single shot in the second half and that one attempt resulted in Escorza's game-tying goal.
USF closes out its regular season at home on Friday afternoon vs. new league rival Holy Cross (IN). USF must win that game and then hope that Illinois Tech either loses its final two games or loses one and ties the other. Two IIT losses, coupled with a Saints win, would push USF into the sixth and final CCAC playoff spot. An IIT loss and tie would give the Saints a tie for sixth with IIT and USF would own the tiebreaker thanks to its 2-0 win over the Scarlet Hawks back on Sept. 30. Illinois Tech finishes its regular season with home games versus Cardinal Stritch on Saturday and Robert Morris next Tuesday.
