On Wednesday, Oct. 10, the Augustana men’s soccer team (5-7) played against their conference rival, Illinois Wesleyan.
As the home game went into overtime, the Vikings managed to score making the final score 1-0, adding another win to their season.
This victory gave the Vikings another conference win under their belt, moving them to 3-2. Junior captain Matthew Allen explained how focused the team has been and how they have been dedicated in sticking to their own strategies when competing in games.
“It was an intense game; we worked hard for the win and had more passion,” Allen said.
During the first half of the game, Wesleyan made multiple attempts to score. The Titans were unsuccessful in scoring any points as junior goalkeeper Jeremy Klaber blocked all shots aimed towards the net.
“We played our hearts out. The team stuck together and played with confidence. We worked hard to get the win,” Klaber said.
Augustana’s defense stayed strong protecting their home field throughout the duration of the first half of the game. Neither team was able to score and with the clock winding down, the score remained 0-0 as the first half of the game came to an end.
During the second half of the game, multiple fouls were called on both teams. Augustana’s offense attempted to take the lead by taking some shots to the net, none of which were successful.
A few unsuccessful wide shots were taken by the Vikings. By the end of the second half the score was still 0-0, leading the game into overtime.
In the second half of overtime, first-year student Salah Aghlaf managed to score with a bicycle kick into the net with only one minute remaining on the clock. This vital point then won the game for Augustana.
Aghlaf explained how the team as a whole had come together to take the victory for the game.
“The game was purely great. We deserved to win. Even though I was the one who made the goal, the win was a team effort,” Aghlaf said.
Allen said the team has practiced improving upon their ability to control the ball on the field.
“Our main goals are to place in the top four in the conference and work on staying in control,” Allen said.
The team has three more CCIW games until the end of their season. The team’s next game will be a non-conference game against Wisconsin-Platteville on Thursday, Oct. 18.
Photo Above: Augustana sophomore Chris Plantz (#11) attempts to steal the ball from Luke Cangilla (#9) in their game against Illinois Wesleyan on October 10. Vikings won 1-0. Photo by Alia McMurray.