PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. — Another match, another victory for the Trojans, who locked down their sixth win in as many contests with a hard-fought 2-1 road win against conference rival Trinity Christian.
Despite a record that isn't in the same stratosphere as the surging Trojans, the Trolls of Trinity Christian didn't back down from the challenge, as both teams created chances throughout the first half hour but couldn't crack the scoresheet. That all changed when the Trolls broke the ice in the 37th minute to grab a 1-0 advantage. The goal was the first anyone had put past star keeper
Armin Mahmutovic and the stingy Trojans defense in a mind-numbing 475 minutes of play, a stretch that witnessed four Trinity clean sheets and roughly two-and-a-half weeks since their last goal allowed. Despite the foreign feeling of letting one in, the Trojans responded to the setback in brilliant fashion, leaning on their captain
Zach Mawdsley to tally the equalizer less than three minutes later, restoring order before the halftime horn, signaling a 1-1 deadlock at the break.
It didn't take long for that stalemate to be broken however, as the halftime hiatus proved to be the only thing keeping Trinity off the board when they pulled ahead just 83 seconds into the latter half when TK Garside recorded his team-leading sixth goal to double his total from all of last season and put the Trojans ahead, 2-1. Smelling blood in the water, the Trojans continued to push for a third, but the Trolls defense held firm until the dam broke loose in the 61st minute with a Trinity Christian player being sent off in a scuffle that saw Trojans
Alberto Mendoza and Jonathan Mueller come to the defense of their teammates, resulting in them being among the five players simultaneously booked. The Trojans remained undeterred by the game's chippy nature, continuing to swarm to Trolls' box and create numerous opportunities, but were unable to score. While the tense one-goal margin was never enlarged, the tenacious Trojan defense made it hold, not surrendering a shot on goal for the final half hour-plus and seeing the match through to cement a 2-1 victory.
The Trojans (6-1-0) continue to take the conference by storm while doing things no Trojan team has done in years. Making the stretch even more impressive is the fact that the squad has already doubled its paltry total of just three victories last season and it's not even October yet. The Trojans will seek to continue their remarkable and unpredictable campaign when they square off with another conference opponent, Cardinal Stritch, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, September 27.
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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.