JOLIET, Ill. --- The TIU men's soccer team returned to action on Wednesday night as they visited the St. Francis (IL) Fighting Saints at Joliet Memorial Stadium in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC).. Coming off a 4-2 loss last Saturday against Olivet Nazarene at home, the Trojans looked to break out of their recent string of losses and begin the final weeks of the season with a win.

TIU and St. Francis would battle it out for 29 scoreless minutes until Roberto Centeno cracked the scoreboard first for the Saints on a goal assisted by Zakhar Shkidchenko. Shortly after halftime, Pablo Rubio Guerra put USF ahead 2-0 on an unassisted goal in the 47th minute.

Trinity wouldn't stay off the board however as Josiah Fuchs slipped a shot past Saints goalkeeper Carson Heglund unassisted to cut the lead in half in the 63rd minute. But St. Francis made a huge splash in the final 20 minutes as Shkidchenko would score a hat trick over the course of a seven minute span to give USF a commanding 5-1 lead. Xavier Brown would tack on a late unassisted goal in the 88th minute for the Trojans, but it would not be enough to overcome the deficit as TIU fell to the Saints by a final score of 5-2.

ADDITIONAL GAME NOTES

• With the loss on Wednesday night, the all-time series record between TIU and St. Francis is now tied at eight wins a piece, including one tie. USF has also won four of the last five matchups.

• Trinity played a very clean second half, committing just two fouls as a team after halftime, while the Saints were called for 11 second half fouls.

• Josiah Fuchs' goal in the 63rd minute was his fourth of the 2021 season, and 15th of his collegiate career.

• USF outshot the Trojans 18-13 on Wednesday night, including 10-5 in shots on goal.

• With 15 career goals, Fuchs now joins the TIU men's soccer program's top ten all-time goal scorers list, tied with Mark Daniels (1975-77), Jeff Eales (1980-84), and Erik Yamane (2012-15) for tenth all-time in team history.

• Xavier Brown's 88th minute goal was his fourth of the season, and 12th career score. 

UP NEXT

The Trojans (1-12-0) return to the field on Saturday afternoon as they visit the Saints of Holy Cross College (IN) in conference play. Kickoff is set for 2:00pm EST at Saints Field in Notre Dame, with the game being streamed LIVE on the Regional Radio Sports Network.
 

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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.