JOLIET, Ill. --- The University of St. Francis women's soccer team took another big step towards securing a home playoff match with its 2-1 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference victory over Viterbo University on Saturday afternoon at Joliet Memorial Stadium.

Second-half goals from Kelly Flores and Litzy Mendez left the Fighting Saints needing just a loss or a tie by both Saint Xavier University and Viterbo University in one of their final two matches next week to wrap up the No. 4 seed in the upcoming CCAC Tournament.  USF completed its regular season on Saturday finishing with 21 points in league play (6-2-3), while going 6-6-5 overall.  Viterbo has 17 points and Saint Xavier 16.

The top four teams in the regular-season standings host a first-round matchup in the eight-team CCAC Tournament, which begins play on Nov. 3.  By concluding its regular season on Saturday, USF can not move up any higher in the standings.

Head coach Al Palar's team played near-perfect defense in the opening half when Viterbo had a strong 18 mile-per-hour wind out of the northwest to its advantage.  St. Francis held the V-Hawks (7-3-5, 5-2-2) to just two shots on goal and eight shots total in the opening 45 minutes.

It seemed to be just a matter of time before the Saints would score going with the wind in the second half.  They were firing in rapid succession in the first 23 minutes after the break with 11 total shots and eight on goal, not to mention one that hit off the right post.

Flores finally broke the 0-0 deadlock when her corner kick curled into the net at 70:07.  It also opened the scoring gates for the Saints with Mendez's goal coming just 62 seconds later on the second of back-to-back shots by the senior midfielder/forward.

Viterbo made things interesting in the 80th minute when it cut the deficit in half with its lone tally.  The V-Hawks, however, would not get another shot off in the final ten minutes, enabling the Saints to win for the fifth time in six matches.

USF finished the game with 25 total shots, 18 of which came in the second half.  Thirteen of the team's 14 shots on goal also came after the intermission.

Viterbo managed 12 shots with only four in the closing 45 minutes.  The guests posted two shots on goal in each half.

Krystal Rodriguez earned the victory in goal with a pair of saves.  Senior Claudia Hernandez also had a back save in the opening half.

Notes: The Saints celebrated Senior Day by honoring student assistant Daniela Robles, Hernandez, Mendez and Valeria Valles-Garcia before the match … All six of Flores' goals have come in each of the team's six victories this season.  Saturday's goal gives her a team-best 15 points on the year … Mendez's fifth goal of the season was her second game-winner this fall and the fourth of her career … USF's defense has allowed one goal or less in seven of its last eight contests.           

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