CHICAGO -- Aided by
Max Gaudry's second half goal, the University of St. Francis men's soccer team took a 1-0 advantage into the 78th minute, but settled for a 1-1 tie in the end with Saint Xavier University in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic conference play on Saturday afternoon at Deaton Field. The draw moves the Fighting Saints to 2-2-5 overall on the season, and 0-0-3 in league play.
First Half
Saint Xavier (5-6-1, 1-1-1 CCAC) held a slight advantage over the Saints in the first 45 minutes of play, taking nine shots compared to USF's seven. The Cougars were able to create five shot attempts during the first 10 minutes, but three saves from USF starting keeper
Elio Di Gennaro allowed the 0-0 deadlock to remain. In the 11th minute, the Saints saw their first opportunity to score when a header from
Benisio Gamino made its way towards the SXU net, but the try would result in a save along with a similar look at the 26:08 mark from
Austin Dellezay holding the score at 0-0 through the halftime break.
Second Half
The second half proved to be full of aggressive play after the break. The Saints were initially able to slow the offensive pace of the hosts' front line by maintaining possession at the start of the stanza. After USF opened the closing 45 minutes with a shot four minutes into the frame, Gaudry later scored on a subsequent attempt with an assist from
Adrian Gonzalez Martin just 15 seconds later to aid the Saints in taking the lead at 1-0. Saint Xavier's offense responded by rattling off what looked to be the equalizer in the 52nd minute, but a diving save from Di Gennaro thwarted the attempt resulting in St. Francis keeping the lead. USF's defense showcased a strong performance in the half, making it difficult for Saint Xavier to find an open look, but the Cougars were finally able to connect on the game tying goal with just 12 minutes remaining to deny the Saints of an outright victory.
St. Francis took 15 shots as a team in the contest, falling short to Saint Xavier's 19 attempts. Gaudry's goal was the second of his season, while Gonzalez Martin's assist was his first as a Fighting Saint. In goal for USF, Di Gennaro made nine saves, while allowing the one score.
Up Next
St. Francis will be back in action on Tuesday, Oct. 6 when it hosts Judson University at 7 pm. The CCAC contest will take place at Joliet Memorial Stadium.
You can keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on X @USFSaints.
