Chicago, Ill. - For their final 2023 regular season match, as well as their senior day, the Illinois Tech Scarlet Hawks men's soccer team hosted the Rockford University Regents to Stuart Field on Wednesday, October 25. The match, which was considered a win and your in for the NACC postseason tournament for the Hawks, was action packed from the get-go. Both the Hawks (6-8-6, 5-6-1) and the Regents (6-10-1, 5-6-1) fought to gain possession of the ball while holding the other off. The lone goal of the contest came in the 51st minute off the foot of Paul Balea, giving the Hawks a 1-0 victory over the Regents and securing a spot in postseason play.
At the conclusion of the contest, the Hawks secured the No. 6 seed in the 2023 NACC Men's Soccer Tournament. Wednesday night's win also marked head coach Marc Colwell's 99th program victory.
Senior Day - At halftime, the Hawks honored the following nine seniors for their contributions to Illinois Tech both on and off the field: Javier Moreno Frutos, Marko Brajkovic, Keegan Helms, Adam Falcigno, Matthew Wareham, Eduardo Morales Cortazar, Telmo Lizundia, Michael Kaczowka, and Anthony Paiotti.
How it Happened
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After earning a throw in the 51st minute, Mateo Sanchez would throw the ball back to Nick Skiba. N. Skiba took a touch to settle the ball before passing it off to Paul Balea. Balea took one touch to slow the ball down before poking the ball past an oncoming Regent defender. In wide open space from about 35 yards out, Balea fired off a left-footed shot towards goal. Balea's shot skipped right in front of the diving Regent goalkeeper, going underneath him and into the back of the net. The match's lone goal would prove to be just enough to give the Hawks a 1-0 victory over the Regents.
Scarlet Hawk Standouts
Regents Standouts
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Abraham Gonzalez - 90 minutes, 3 shots, 2 shots on goal
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Raul Martinez - 36 minutes, 2 shots, 2 shots on goal
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Andrew Roth - 60 minutes, 1 shot, 1 shot on goal
Inside the Box Score
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The Hawks edged the Regents in shots 16-15, while having 7 shots on goal versus the Regents 5
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Rockford recorded 6 saves while Illinois Tech had 5
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For corner kicks, the Hawks led 5-1
Comments from Head Coach Marc Colwell
"I'm so excited for the seniors and all of the work they have put in on the field and in the classroom over the last four to five years. We like to keep it interesting, like to keep the fans in their seats with a lot of close games. Excited to compete in the postseason tournament!"
Up Next
The Hawks now turn their focus towards postseason action. On Saturday, October 28, the Hawks will travel over to River Forest, Ill. to take on the No.3 ranked Dominican University Stars. During the regular season, the Hawks and Stars ended in a 1-1 draw. Mateo Sanchez scored the Hawks lone goal while Narcizo Ibarra-Rodriguez netted the Stars goal. Kick-off for the quarterfinals contest is scheduled for 1:00 PM.
