BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – Jose Garcia scored twice to give the Roosevelt men's soccer team a 2-0 lead, but visiting Saint Xavier scored three unanswered goals, including the golden goal in overtime, to end the Lakers' six-match winning streak by a final of 3-2 at Toyota Park on Wednesday.
Danny Lopez scored the equalizer in the 79th minute and tallied the game-winning goal in the 97th minute on a 1v1 against keeper Gary Mendoza with the Lakers' defense on its heels.
Garcia missed a penalty kick 43 seconds into the match, but the senior more than made up for that with his 35th-minute chip strike over keeper Frank Valle and his 51st-minute magic with a dribble, maneuvering and a vicious shot past Valle and into the net.
Michael Gutierrez made it a one-goal game with a tally in the 61st minute, and he sent in a ball that found Lopez late in the second half for the equalizer to set the stage for the overtime result.
Roosevelt unleashed 27 shots, including 17 second-half attempts. The Lakers forced Valle to make nine second-half saves that kept SXU in the match as the Green and White peppered the frame. Anibal Mendoza had 10 of Roosevelt's shots.
Mendoza made five saves for the Lakers.
Roosevelt falls to 8-7-0 overall and 7-2-0 in CCAC play, while SXU is now 9-7-0 and 6-4-0 in conference action.
The Lakers host Cardinal Stritch in a battle of sides at the top of the CCAC table. The match starts at 2:30 p.m. at Toyota Park and will be preceded by Senior Day festivities.
