BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – Danny Rozen's goal in the 76th minute broke a 1-1 tie, and the Lakers' defense held off a frantic Holy Cross attack late as the Roosevelt men's soccer team registered a 2-1 victory over the visiting Saints at Toyota Park on Saturday afternoon.
Andrew Obmalay scored and Jake Cigelnik made four saves and snuffed multiple opposing threats for the Lakers (9-3-1, 4-2-0 CCAC).
The first shot of the game was fruitful for the hosts. In the sixth minute Jaime Zepeda sent a ball forward to Leo Rodriguez, and the reigning CCAC Player of the Week showed off his knack for igniting offensive threats by finding Obmalay on the left side. Obmalay then sped ahead, turned inward and toward the box, and creatively caused keeper Iain McTurk to dive after a ball that wasn't there. That's because Obamaly fooled the netminder with a nifty move and sent the ball in for the goal and the early Roosevelt lead.
The match stayed that away into halftime and early in the second period. Roosevelt created another prime opportunity in the 47th minute as the Green and White had attacking players and control of the ball in the box, but a trip by Holy Cross' Niko Jelicic elicited a yellow card and a penalty kick chance for the Lakers. Rodriguez took the shot, but McTurk stopped the PK and the momentum swung in favor of the Saints.
Holy Cross increased its possession in the forward half, and the offensive aggression eventually led to a 64th minute strike on a spin move from Garbhan Grant that equalized the contest.
Roosevelt remained calm as a unit, biding time until another opportunity came to strike back. That chance came with just under 15 minutes remaining in regulation, when Irving Balboa sent a beautiful ball forward to Rozen, who escaped the defense and sprinted on the right side for a 1v1 with McTurk. Rozen sent a threatening ball toward frame, and it caromed off the far post and into goal for the tie-breaking tally.
The Lakers' defense was tested by a Holy Cross side in desperate need of another equalizer, and the final five-plus minutes saw the Saints pushed forward and attempting various attacks at goal. But the Roosevelt marking and team defense, along with Cigelnik's poise and long reach, ceased the threats until the final horn sounded.
Roosevelt faces a road test at Purdue Calumet this Tuesday night in Munster.
