(Sugar Grove, IL) – Waubonsee Community College's men's soccer team put its' unblemished record on the line Thursday afternoon against highly touted Carl Sandburg College. The Chargers, with an extensive roster of international players and ranked 18^th in the latest NJCAA Division II poll, battled the Chiefs to the final horn before the home team escaped with a 1-0 victory. Unranked Waubonsee improved to 8-0 overall, while Sandburg dropped to 3-3-1 on the season. On Tuesday the Chiefs also had another potential win at Elgin Community College halted early in the second half due to lightning. The suspended contest, which Waubonsee was leading 4-1, will be completed on Thursday, October 13 at 4:00 p.m. in Elgin.

Against Sandburg the Chiefs set the tone early on by putting pressure on the visitors. Much of the action occurred on the Chargers end of the field the first 25 minutes of play. The Chiefs out shot Sandburg 5-1 during that time, but could not find the back of the net. In the 27^th minute the Chargers finally got off a shot on goal from 15-yards out on the left side that nearly curved into the far side of the goal. However, Waubonsee keeper Dana Brisbon Jr. snagged the ball just inside the right post. Waubonsee broke the scoreless tie in the 30^th minute when Juan Noyola headed the ball from the left wing toward the goalmouth. A trio of Chiefs out jumped the Chargers' British keeper Benjamin Hilton for the ball, with Daniel Avila heading the ball in for a 1-0 Waubonsee lead. 

Five minutes later Sandburg had an opportunity to knot the score when a foul on Waubonsee gave the Chargers a free kick from 23 yards out. But Brazilian native Neemias Moreira's kick sailed well over the cross bar. Sandburg had a pair of corner kicks in the following three minutes of action. However, Brisbon swatted both shots away to keep the Chargers off the board. In the last three minutes of the half Waubonsee had three more chances to add to their slim lead, but was unable to take advantage of two corner kicks and a free kick from 20 yards out.

Coach Brett Suhayda's crew carried that 1-0 lead into the second period as the match steadily got more physical. A free kick for the Chargers in the 57^th minute presented their best scoring chance to that point. Brisbon once again rose to the occasion as he hauled in a 25-yard laser from Saul Etienne. In the next minute Avila had a shot from the left side zip past Hilton and just outside the right post. Shortly thereafter he had another shot from 15 yards out that Hilton smothered on the left side of the goal. In the 62^nd minute Avila had a third attempt, this time from about 12 yards away. A leaping Hilton deflected the ball up and over the cross bar to keep the intense battle still at 1-0.

In the 71^st minute the Chargers got two prime opportunities to even up the match. Fortunately Waubonsee defenders Benedicte Ndjibu, Dawid Szeliga and Nicolas Magallon cleared the ball away each time just in front of the goal as the Chiefs narrowly clung to their 1-0 lead. In the 84^th minute Brisbon made a diving stop to thwart another shot by Etienne from 20 yards out on the left side. Waubonsee's defense made several stops over the frantic final minutes before Sandburg got one more golden opportunity to tie the score with 30 second remaining in regulation. Etienne took a long midfield pass just outside the box and blasted a shot from about 20 yards away, that again sailed over the cross bar and out of play. Waubonsee was then easily able to run out the clock from there and claim their eighth win of the season. Brisbon finished with five saves en route to earning his third shutout and his seventh win overall in net. The Chargers out shot Waubonsee 13-11 for the match.

The Chiefs are in action again next Tuesday, September 27 when they travel to Crystal Lake to square off against McHenry County College in an Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference match beginning at 4:00 p.m.