GREENVILLE, Ill. – Spalding men's soccer traveled to Greenville University on Wednesday to compete in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) semifinal. SU advanced to the SLIAC Championship with a 2-1 win over the Panthers.
SU moved to 10-7-2 on the season, while Greenville's season ended.
TURNING POINT
In a couple of words, the first half was "a battle in the midfield." Spalding knew what they were getting into as Greenville was the regular season champs. Neither team could maintain complete control of the game. The Golden Eagles tallied two shots in the first half to the Panthers' three shots. This intense contest went into halftime scoreless, 0-0.
Ten minutes into the second half, SU struck first.
Mustafa Almohammedawi scored a penalty kick to put the Golden Eagles on top, 1-0. This swung the momentum right into SU's favor. Just five minutes later, Spalding scored another.
Eddie Mendez-Perez received a pass from
Kevin Mulume. Mendez-Perez precisely put it right past the Panther's goalkeeper. This gave SU a 2-0 advantage. As the clock ticked, SU felt the championship right at their fingertips. With six minutes remaining, the Panthers earned a penalty kick. This made it a 2-1 ball game.
Micah Mattes and Spalding's defense held firm for the remainder of the game, winning 2-1.
GOLDEN EAGLE NOTES
NEXT FOR SPALDING
Spalding will play Webster University on Saturday, November 9th, in the SLIAC Championship. Kickoff will be at 2 p.m.
