PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. —- The Trinity International University Trojan women's soccer team took on the Trinity Christian College Trolls on Friday afternoon in the quarterfinal round of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Tournament. The 6-5-1 Trojans took on the Trolls on October 9th in Deerfield, where the Trojans defeated the then unbeaten Trolls 1-0 to deliver the Trolls their first loss of the season. TCC since then have only been defeated one other time to Olivet Nazarene.
This game would be a fierce competition between the rivals with both teams facing each other last year in the postseason, where the Trolls would win that matchup and eventually win the NCCAA National Championship. The current 10-2, and 24th ranked Trolls would start off well with five shots compared to the Trojans single shot, but the Trojan defense would not be phased as goalkeeper Rebecca Wells could not be beaten with her presence in the box.
The first half ended 0-0, with the Trojans having confidence going into the second half. The Trojans would have more possession in the second half and string together more passes, but could not find many opportunities to capitalize, while the Trolls opened the scoring in the 63rd minute after a service from Taylor Miller found Brianna Uhls's head to stick the ball in the back of the net.
The Trolls would try to grab another goal, but great goalkeeping by Wells would deny two open opportunities for the Trolls to grab another. TIU would try for a final push to find the back of the net, but could not find a shot to trouble goalkeeper Ally Kranstz. TCC would deny the Trojans from equalizing and would outshoot the Trojans 14-2 to end TIU's season with a 1-0 loss.
The Trojans end the 2019 season with a record of 8-9-1 overall and 6-4-1 in the conference. TIU would score 39 goals and allow 25 goals this year, giving the senior goalkeeper Wells a 1.47 goals allowed average on the year. Hannah Fuchs would be the leading goal scorer for the Trojans with six goals and one assist, with Makena Walker tightly behind Fuchs with five goals and two assists.
The Trojans will look to come back stronger next year with a strong senior and junior class next year to return to the conference playoffs.
Trinity International University is a comprehensive, national university affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America and located in Bannockburn, Illinois, 25 miles north of Chicago. TIU educates men and women to engage in God's redemptive work in the world by cultivating academic excellence, Christian faithfulness and lifelong learning.
