By: After a scoreless first half, IC struck in the 54th and 69th minutes to pull away for the win.
Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The Illinois College men's soccer team used two second-half goals to down Webster University, 2-0, on Friday night to give the Blueboys a positive start to the 2017 campaign.
Thomas Saitta netted the winner and
Brock Ziegemeier doubled the lead for IC.
Friday night's contest got off to a fast start, as it only took 16 seconds for Webster's Edin Mehmedovic to rip a shot on goal, requiring senior
Ty Clearwater to make the early save. IC launched a quick counter-attack that nearly saw Ziegemeier score before his shot was saved by Kyle Hertel. Both sides continued to attack the net vigorously, combining for 12 shots in the first half. The high physicality of the game saw the Gorloks' Joacquin Soto land a yellow card in the 38th minute. After two late attempts on goal for the Blueboys, the first 45 minutes ended with the match still scoreless, 0-0.
Saitta made his presence well known when coming off the bench in the 52nd minute. Only one minute after entering,
Alexis Zazueta laced a cross far post, where Saitta was waiting and finished with the volley to break the tie, putting IC up, 1-0. In the 69th minute,
Roger Mies connected with
Andrew Myers on a corner, but after Myers' header was blocked, Ziegemeier was in the box to clean it up, scooting the ball by Hertel for a second Blueboy goal. Clearwater had to make one save in the second half, and the Blueboys held on for the 2-0 victory. The Blueboys outshot Webster 14-8 during the match.
Illinois College will return home on September 9, when the Blueboys square off in a non-conference match with Dominican University. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Before that, IC goes on a two-match road trip, starting with an 11 a.m. kickoff at Franklin College on Sept. 3.
