Springfield, Ill. – The SBU men's soccer team picked up a crucial GLVC victory Saturday afternoon, defeating Illinois Springfield 4-3 to keep its postseason hopes alive. The win moves the Bearcats to 7-5-2 overall and 4-5-2 in conference play as they continue their pursuit of the program's first-ever GLVC Tournament appearance.
The Bearcats struck first in the 18th minute as Solomon Eduard scored his first goal of the season off an assist from Maxence Cardon. After UIS answered, Derrick Londono Zapata took over, scoring twice in less than three minutes to give SBU a 3-1 advantage. Illinois Springfield battled back to tie the match at 3-3 heading into halftime.
With postseason implications on the line, SBU delivered in the second half. Luis Sanchez-Barbudo Cruz found the back of the net in the 65th minute off an assist from Joe Wright, scoring his fifth goal of the season and giving the Bearcats the 4-3 advantage.
SBU finished with 15 shots, including 10 on goal, while goalkeeper Jan-Henry Schäfer recorded seven saves to help secure the victory.
The win gives the Bearcats four GLVC victories this season and keeps them in contention for a historic postseason berth. With three regular-season matches remaining, including two teams that are currently below them in the standings, every point is crucial in the first ever conference tournament berth for these Bearcats.
The Bearcats will continue their postseason push Wednesday, October 21, as they travel to Springfield, Missouri, to take on Drury University.
