ICC Men’s Soccer Defeats Wesleyan Titans

Alba Vigo Massotti

Sept 19, 2022

Illinois Central College (ICC) Men’s Soccer won its fourth consecutive scrimmage game against four-year Illinois Wesleyan University. Now ICC has six victories, five at home and one away, and three losses. Their winning streak is 4-0.

ICC started with Lucas Fontana, a sophomore from Peoria, as the goalie. Luca Saewe, German sophomore, Jama Ahmed, England freshman, and Tarik Elmali, German freshman, in the back.  Alex Garcia, Spanish sophomore, Gian Luca Fink, Austrian sophomore, Carlos Lobo, Spanish freshman, Zac Le Stavri, England freshman, and Carlos Kiel, Mexican freshman, in the middle. Jesus Perez, a Spanish freshman, and Mahamat Ahmat, an African sophomore on the top.

ICC dominated the ball from the beginning and gave the Titans no openings to score. After an early goal by Spanish player Garcia, the team kept going and had a lot of chances to score. After Garcia’s goal, a handball was inside the area, and the referee whistled a penalty kick (PK). Italian sophomore, Cristian Bregu, shot to the right of the goalie and it was 2-0 on the scoreboard. 

“In the PK, I always look at the goalie, and when he decides one side, I just go to the other. The keeper dived to the left, so I decided to shoot to the right,” Bregu added.

In the second half, the ICC men’s team didn’t stop working and after a perfect cross by Fink, Ahmed, hit a header inside the goal. ICC controlled the game, and the goals kept coming. Another header, but this time from Italian freshman, Dario Pirrera, making the score 4-0. The ICC soccer team didn’t have enough, and Antoni Llull made the 5-0, with a 1 vs 1 with the goalkeeper. 

The game ended 5-0, with a strong victory for ICC.

“It was a good game, and the opponent was good. But we find the right spaces, and it feels easier to win,” Bregu said.

The goals were scored by Garcia, Sophomore (#8) from Spain, Bregu, Sophomore (#7) from Italy, Ahmed, Freshman (#24) from England, Pirrera, Freshman (#21) from Italy, and Llull, Sophomore (#14) from Spain.

ICC Men’s Soccer team, with a winning streak of 4 and a record of 6-3, are facing Lewis and Clark Community College on Saturday 17, at home in their second Region game of the season.