JOLIET, Ill. -- After falling behind 1-0 in the opening 45 minutes, the University of St. Francis men's soccer team outscored three-time defending league champion Olivet Nazarene University 2-1 in the second half to earn a 2-2 draw in its fourth Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference match of the year on Saturday afternoon. With the tie, the Fighting Saints sit at 4-3-2 overall and 0-2-2 in league action.
First Half
Olivet Nazarene gained the first goal of the afternoon on its first shot attempt in the fourth minute of play with a Philip Joergensen attempt sailing past USF keeper Fede Figueredo. The initial drive was defended well by St. Francis, but Joergensen broke free after a feed ahead from Mounir Azzam allowed the opportunity for the open look. USF's offense struggled to counter with any successful looks as two attempts on target from Tony Njia and one from Anthony Derka would account for three of just four total attempts in the opening half by the hosts. Figueredo kept St. Francis in the match as he denied a pair of ONU strikes, helping leave the contest a 1-0 affair.
Second Half
Looking to strike quickly after trailing 1-0 at the half, St. Francis pressed early in the second stanza and found an equalizing opportunity in the 64th minute. After taking a pair of unsuccessful shots in the first 16 minutes of the half, Pablo Alvarez made an aggressive play off a USF corner kick from Santos Contreras, connecting for a header into the back of the ONU net as the keeper drifted up to try to intercept the cross. The score would stay an even 1-1 draw until the final 12 minutes of play with both keepers making saves to preserve the score. USF had a pair of chances from Jesus Flores on target during the second half, but the senior midfielder's shots were denied each time. In the 78th minute, the standstill was finally broken as the Tigers knocked a second score past Figueredo to take a 2-1 lead. The advantage would not last long, however, as just one minute later, USF would benefit from a successful penalty kick following an ONU foul in the box. Just 10 days after tying the score versus Holy Cross to force a 3-3 draw with an 89th-minute PK, Contreras was called upon once again to duplicate the feat. The midfielder delivered again, tying the game at two-all with just over 10 remaining in the match. Contreras' second goal of the season stood as the final score, despite three shot attempts from ONU in the 84th minute.
Olivet Nazarene ended the match with a 14-10 lead in shot attempts, while Figueredo made three saves in the draw. Njia led St. Francis in shots with three, while Flores had two tries in the match. All five attempts between the two men were on target.
Up Next
St. Francis will seek victory this coming Tuesday (Oct. 8) when they go up against Governors State University for an 8 pm contest versus the Jaguars. The match will be played at the Crown Point Sportsplex in Crown Point, Ind..
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