Aurora, Ill. – In a match that saw 10 total goals, the Illinois Tech Scarlet Hawks men's soccer team fought until the end against the Aurora University Spartans. With the game underway, an offensive showcase ensued. A player from both sides would go on to record a hat-trick during the 90 minutes of action, as the Hawks (7-4-3, 3-4-1) and Spartans (6-4-4, 5-1-2) battled to a 5-5 draw.  

Tomas Rebelatto finished the game with a hat-trick.  

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Aurora struck first with a goal in the 13th minute. Branden Dolezal scored his first of the game after capitalizing on a Hawk miscommunication. Stealing the ball inside the 18-yard box, Dolezal made his way towards the goal. A Hawk would make a sliding attempt to save the ball, but Dolezal capitalized on the open net opportunity to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead.  

• Less than two minutes later, Illinois Tech responded. Stealing the ball just inside their offensive half, Devin Zakeri passed the ball forward to Mateo Sanchez who continued the movement of the ball with a back heel pass, keeping the ball moving into the path of Paul Balea's run. With his first touch inside the 18-yard box, Balea squared a pass across to a wide-open Tomas Rebelatto. With an open goal in front of him, Rebelatto simply placed the ball into the back of the net, tying the game at 1-1. Zakeri and Balea were awarded assists on the play.  

• In the 30th minute, the Hawks took the lead for the first time. Stealing the ball at half-field, Zakeri took off dribbling towards the goal. Zakeri would go on to dribble past 5 Spartan defenders before finding a wide on Rebelatto inside the 18-yard box. With defenders crashing in on him, Rebelatto fired a shot into the opposite lower left-hand corner. His shot would his off the post and find its way into the back of the net.  

• The Spartans tied the contest in the 34th minute when Dolezal followed in Rebelatto's footsteps and scored his second of the game. Josue Roman assisted the goal with a chip cross towards the 6-yard box. Jumping in the air, Dolezal flicked a header shot just over the diving Adam Falcigno.  

• At halftime, the match was tied 2-2. 

• Rebelatto picked up right where he left off at the start of the second half, scoring his third of the game, earning a hat trick, at the 47th minute mark. Receiving the ball at half field, Balea found Zakeri making a run deep into the Spartans defensive half. Receiving the ball with everyone behind him, Zakeri dribbled to inside the 18-yard box before laying the ball off to Rebelatto. In stride, Rebelatto hit a first-time, right-footed shot. The Spartans goalkeeper would make a diving attempt, but Rebelatto's shot was just powerful enough to go right under him and into the goal. The Hawks once again held the lead over the Spartans, this time 3-2.  

• The game seemed to just be between Rebelatto and Dolezal as Dolezal followed with his third of the game in the 55th minute to tie things up once again, with the scoreboard reading 3-3. Roman once again assisted Dolezal, this time with a cross on the ground into the 18-yard box. Hitting the ball up to himself and with multiple defenders around his, Dolezal was able to find just enough space to strike a right-footed shot through multiple Hawk defenders to the lower left corner.  

• Zakeri joined in on the goal scoring in the 75th minute. Building the ball up from the back, the Hawks made their way down the field. Inside the 18-yard box, Rebelatto dropped a pass back to Ben Mehl, who then laid the ball off to Zakeri. Zakeri struck the ball first time, sending a left-footed shot through the air and just underneath the crossbar. With the goal, the Hawks were back on top, leading the Spartans 4-3.  

• In the 81st minute, the Spartans once again tied the match. With the Hawks attempting to clear the ball out of the box, a header would go in the direction of Carlos Viayra. On the half-volley, Viayra nailed a line drive shot on the ground and into the back of the net. The match would be tied at 4-4 with nine minutes to go.  

• Then, in the 85th minute, the Spartans took the lead. With a loose ball inside the 18-yard box, Adrian Maldonado was able to capitalize, tapping the ball into the back of the net from nearly the goal-line. Enrique Gonzalez played the initial ball in, earning the assist.  

• Just when the game seemed like it was over, the Hawks had one more goal left in them. Nearly a minute after the last Spartan goal, the Hawks tied the contest. After the Hawks stole the ball in their offensive half, Balea played a chipped ball into the direction of Sanchez's run. Wide open, Sanchez took a touch forward into the box. With the goalkeeper coming out and a Spartan defender attempting a sliding save, Sanchez was able to slot a shot right past both of them, and into the center of the goal.  

• At the final whistle, the game ended in a 5-5 draw.  

SCARLET HAWK STANDOUTS 

• Tomas Rebelatto – 82 minutes, 3 goals, 1 assist, 5 shots, 5 shots on goal 

• Devin Zakeri – 88 minutes, 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 shots, 2 shots on goal 

• Mateo Sanchez – 59 minutes, 1 goal, 1 shot, 1 shot on goal 

• Ben Mehl – 80 minutes, 1 assist 

• Paul Balea – 90 minutes, 3 assists 

• Matthew Watson – 83 minutes, 2 shots, 1 shot on goal 

SPARTAN STANDOUTS 

• Branden Dolezal – 81 minutes, 3 goals, 10 shots, 5 shots on goal 

• Adrian Maldonado – 68 minutes, 1 goal, 3 shots, 2 shots on goal 

• Carlos Viayra – 84 minutes, 1 goal, 3 shots, 2 shots on goal 

• Enrique Gonzalez – 90 minutes, 1 assist, 4 shots, 1 shot on goal 

• Josue Roman – 85 minutes, 2 assists, 4 shots 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 

• Aurora out shot Illinois Tech 34-12, with 13 shots on goal versus 9 

• The Hawks recorded 8 saves while the Spartans had 4 

• 7-of-9 corner kicks went in favor of the Spartans 

• 3 of the Hawks goals came inside the 18-yard box, one came at the very top of the box, and one came from outside the box.  

• 4 of the Spartans goals came inside the 18-yard box and one came from outside.  

UP NEXT 

The Hawks will once again be on the road as they travel to De Pere, Wis. to take on the St. Norbert College Green Knights on Saturday, October 19th. Kick-off for the NACC contest is scheduled for 4:30 PM.