Eureka Falls to Principia in Penalties at SLIAC Tournament
ELSAH –The Eureka men's soccer team went the distance against Principia in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference quarterfinals on Tuesday, but the Red Devils fell just short in penalty kicks.
After 110 minutes of scoreless soccer, Principia came out on top, 4-3, to advance to the next round and end the maroon and gold's often-thrilling 2022 campaign.
In penalties, the Red Devils and Panthers both went 3-for-3 in the first three rounds, with Jake Edmondson (Monticello, Ill./Monticello), Milan Bajgai (Manchester, England/Swinton/Lincoln) and Khalil Alleyne (Diego Martin, Trinidad/Fatima College/Lincoln) all putting away their kicks for Eureka and Christian Tresoldi, Liam Peschke and Diego Alas all making theirs for Principia.
In the fourth round, though, Principia goalkeeper Torben Rehnert read and stepped in front of Daniel Jüeliger's chip for the first stop of the shootout. Then, E.G. Pierce finished his attempt to give the Panthers the upper hand for the first time.
Rehnert closed the door on EC's semifinal hopes when he dove and stopped Isaac Noriega (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy/Muchin College Prep) on Eureka's last kick. Third-seeded Principia (9-4-5) will next take on second-seeded Greenville (9-3-5) in the SLIAC semifinals on Thursday at 5 p.m.
It was a heartbreaking finish for the Red Devils, but a tremendous effort in the team's first-ever SLIAC Tournament appearance.
The Red Devils withstood 24 Principia shots and 11 shots on goal in 110 minutes. There were dangerous free kicks, close-up attacks and volleys off corners. Nothing went in, largely thanks to gutsy efforts by the back line of Jordan Pierre (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy/Lincoln), Noriega, Tyler Russow (Streator, Ill./Streator/Illinois Valley Community College), Jacob Adamson (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) and Teddy Wesoloski (McDonough, Ga./Ola), solid goalkeeping by freshman Brayton Strawkas (Buffalo, Ill./Tri-City) and high-intensity pressure by every player on the pitch.
Principia had its share of near-misses and wasted opportunities, but the Red Devils rarely gave them much to work with.
After spending most of the second half behind the ball, Eureka established some possession late, moved the ball well and threatened a few times, but a clean look eluded them.
When the Red Devils went to overtime for the first time this season, the team continued to play with intensity and stamina. Tyler Russow had a shot on goal and Eureka got a corner kick before the end of the first period.
In the second period, Principia got its best chance of the game when Wizzy Afrani got through the defense and had a look from close to the six-yard box, but blasted it off the cross bar.
Afrani, the Panthers' most dangerous goal-scoring threat on the night, nearly found the back of the net again in the final two minutes, but Noriega raced back and stepped in front of him eight yards in front of the box to preserve the shutout.
Most of Eureka's chances came on counters and long balls, but the team also built up with combinations on some occasions. Seven of the team's nine shots were on-target.
Tyler Russow had a pair of shots on goal, while Noriega, Alleyne, Troy Arries (Cape Town, South Africa/Wynberg), Jacob Russow (Streator, Ill./Streator/Lincoln) and Edmondson each had one. Jacob Russow's try – a promising rip to the near-post that was saved by Rehnert – had the most pace of the seven.
By the end of the match, five Red Devils – Strawkas, Noriega, Jacob Russow, Edmondson and Pierre -- had played all 110 minutes. Alleyne played all but one, and Adamson, Jüeliger and Tyler Russow played 90-plus.
The Red Devils completed their first season under new coach Ryan Woodside with a 5-10-4 record. After two winless seasons, the team made impressive strides in the right direction, including making history with its first-ever SLIAC Tournament berth. The maroon and gold came a couple of breaks away from marching into the SLIAC semifinals for a chance to compete for a tourney title. It wasn't to be this time, but it's clear this team successfully raised the bar for the program.
"We're excited for the future here," Woodside said the day before the match. "We're still really ambitious, and we still have really high ambitions for the program moving forward."