(Elgin, IL.) - After a tough 2-1 loss to Moraine Valley Community College on Sept. 25 in a showdown between the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference's (ISCC) only unbeaten teams, the Chiefs' prospects of completing a three-peat for the conference title seemed bleak. However, Waubonsee closed out its' ISCC schedule with a thrilling 4-3 victory at Elgin Community College in double overtime. The Chiefs then needed some help and they got it as Morton College stunned the Cyclones 3-1 later in the day to hand them their first loss of the season. In the process it created a three-way tie for the ISCC title as Moraine Valley (16-1), Waubonsee (11-2-1) and Morton (14-3), whom the Chiefs topped 3-2 in overtime on Sept. 11, all finished 6-1 in ISCC action.
Waubonsee led Elgin 3-1 at halftime as Jose Gallegos netted a pair of goals in the first 20 minutes of play, and Jose Alfaro scored another in the 35th minute. Gallegos booked his first goal, the fifth of the season for him, off a crossing pass from Michael Waclaw. Four minutes later the Spartans (12-7-1, 2-5) tied it with a breakaway goal as Oscar Chavez beat Chiefs' keeper Salvador Gonzalez one-on-one. Gallegos then knotched his second goal of the game, this time from the left side, as he took a pass from Alfaro after Adrian Bravo Cobian had centered the ball to him. Alfaro then gave Waubonsee some breathing room with his team-leading 11th goal, drilling a shot into the upper left corner after a steal by Arnold Arevalo and fast break pass from Mike Bozett.
Elgin rallied to tie the match at three with a pair of goals midway through the second half. Waubonsee appeared to win the game in the final minute of regulation, but a goal by Edgar Esquivel Lopez was negated by an offsides call sending the match into overtime. Neither team could muster much offensively in the first extra period, but it didn't take long for a golden opportunity to emerge for the Chiefs in the second overtime. Just three minutes in Waclaw juked a Spartans defender three times to create some space and then found Esquivel in the top right corner of the 18-yard box. The freshman drilled a shot with his right foot past Elgin keeper Aldair Dominguez and into the left corner of the net to set off the victory celebration. "It was a team effort more than anything, but eventually I was lucky enough to be at the right place and right time to place the ball into the net," exclaimed a relieved Esquivel. For the match Waubonsee out shot the Spartans 26-7 as Dominguez was credited with 22 saves on the day. Gonzalez tallied four saves in goal for Waubonsee while picking up his fourth win.
(Brian Zepeda contributed to this recap)