(Sugar Grove, IL) –Waubonsee Community College's men's soccer team and Malcolm X College from Chicago battled each other and the elements in the Chiefs' home opener on Friday afternoon. With the heat index reaching 98 degrees Fahrenheit, the depth of coach Brett Suhayda's Chiefs eventually prevailed in a 2-0 Waubonsee victory. The Chiefs controlled much of the action, out shooting the Hawks 22-4 overall and 10-2 in shots on goal.
The visiting Hawks best opportunity to get on the scoreboard came early on. A Chiefs' penalty gave them a free kick from 20 yards out just three minutes into the match. However, Waubonsee keeper Alejandro Barrios made a leaping save to his right. The Chiefs had four prime scoring chances over the following 25 minutes of action, but each shot sailed over the crossbar. The Chiefs continued to pepper the Hawks' goal, but could not find the back of the net as the first half ended in a scoreless tie.
In the opening minute of the second half the Hawks' keeper Stephen Tuang thwarted a close in shot by Waubonsee's Lincoln Lillwitz. The Chiefs kept the pressure on Malcolm X's defense as most of the action was on the Hawks' end of the pitch. Waubonsee had a few more scoring opportunities as a free kick by Marco Junez was turned away by Tuang, while Alejandro Arevalo missed a shot wide right a couple minutes later.
Waubonsee finally broke through in the 61st minute as Lillwitz out raced Tuang to the ball and tapped it into the left side of the goal from five yards out. After several more close calls, the Chiefs got a second score when a shot by Andy Emile deflected off a Hawks' defender and went into the goal with 11 minutes remaining in the match.
Waubonsee (2-0) is in action again tomorrow when they travel to Burlington, Iowa to take on Southeastern Community College, the top-ranked team in the NJCAA's Division II Pre-season poll, beginning at 2:00 p.m. The Chiefs return home next Tuesday, August 31 when they host Moraine Valley Community College in an Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference match starting at 4:00 p.m. on Waubonsee's Sugar Grove campus.