After losing three consecutive Region 4 games, the Triton College men's soccer team put themselves in an early hole in the Division II playoff race. Now every Region 4 contest remaining are essentially must wins for the Trojans, with only 10 teams qualifying for the postseason. Triton answered their first test with a hard-fought 1-0 win Sept. 18 at Joliet Junior College. The Wolves entered the contest with a 6-1 record.
"This was an important win for us," said Triton head coach
Piotr Sliwa. "We knew it wasn't going to be easy as Joliet came in playing well and their (grass) field is difficult to play on. It had the feel of a playoff game. It wasn't pretty but at the end of the day, a win is a win and we'll take the result."
The lone Trojans (3-3-1) goal came in the 23
rd minute on a strike from
Pablo DeLaCruz, his second goal of the season.
Emir Heto got credited for his second assist of the season on the DeLaCruz tally.
Alexis Garcia earned the shutout in goal, the first one of the season for the team by stopping all six Joliet shots that came his way.
Triton also avenged a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Wolves a year ago in match-up of two teams that used to play twice a season when they were members of the old North Central Community College Conference.
"There was a little revenge that factored into the game for us," said Sliwa. "They beat us at home last year in a game I thought we should have won. Our rivalry with (Joliet) goes back many years and it's always nice to go down there in tough playing conditions and win."
The Trojans will face another long-time Region 4 foe on Saturday, Sept. 21 as they square off with neighborhood rival Oakton College in Des Plaines. Game time is at Noon.
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