JOLIET, Ill. -- A late goal in the first half by Maharishi International University's Estevao Goncalves denied the University of St. Francis men's soccer team its first win of the season as the Fighting Saints had to settle for a tie in a 1-1 contest with the Pioneers on Wednesday night at Joliet Memorial Stadium. In a chippy non-conference matchup between the two teams that saw 44 fouls and one ejection, the draw moves the Fighting Saints to an overall record of 0-1-1.
First Half
USF's
Jack Browne broke a scoreless tie in the 32nd minute with his first goal of the season.
Ted Barker provided the assist on the tally, which came on the Saints' second shot on goal of the day. That lead would hold up until less than five minutes remained in the first half when Goncalves found the back of the net on just the first shot on goal by the guests (1-0-1) in the match.
Second Half
The second half saw a swing of aggressive play from both sides. St. Francis worked hard to generate chances - clocking 12 shots compared to the Pioneers' three - before the final horn blew. The influx of offensive pressure from USF was met by a solid defensive effort from MIU keeper Dylan Scott, however, who racked up six saves in the period, which included a trio of back-to-back rejections in the 73rd minute.
USF totaled nine shots on goal and also held an overall 19-7 shot advantage for the day. Three of USF's shots on goal came from
Adrian Gonzalez Martin.
Up Next
The Saints will have two days of rest before taking the field again on Saturday, Aug. 29 to play Lawrence Tech (Mich.) at 2:30 pm at Joliet Memorial Stadium.
You can keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on X @USFSaints.
