Illinois Springfield men's soccer fell 2-0 to UAH in a road matchup at Charger Park on Thursday evening. The season opener featured nine of the starting eleven players making their first regular-season appearance for the Prairie Stars.
Coach Graham Shaw reflected: "It was our first game of the season with nine of the starting eleven playing their first regular-season game for us. We started the game very well. It was a game that was very close, neither side creating multiple chances. Unfortunately, we gave away two costly errors for their goals. We have a great opportunity to bounce back on Sunday against a top team. We showed lots of fight and determination, just lacked a bit of quality in the final third. But there are lots of encouraging signs from this game."
The first half saw UAH take an early offensive stance, generating a corner kick immediately. The UIS defense held strong initially, with Landon Amick making saves on shots from Phillip Seifert and Henry Mpagi Jr. However, UAH broke through in the 26th minute when Brennan LeBlanc scored off an assist from Seifert, giving UAH a 1-0 lead. Despite several attempts from both sides, including a saved shot from Mitch Olenick, the score remained 1-0 at halftime.
In the second half, UAH extended its lead in the 56th minute when Donovan Pruitte scored with another assist from Seifert, making it 2-0. The Prairie Stars responded with two consecutive corner kicks in the 57th minute but were unable to convert. The half saw a series of yellow cards issued: four to Illinois Springfield players, and one to an athlete from UAH. Robin Lemke Bergseth had two shots on goal, both saved by UAH goalkeeper Sonny Wright, keeping the scoreline 2-0 through the final whistle.
Amick played the full 90 minutes in goal, recording four saves on seven shots faced. Bergseth led the team with two shots on goal, and Olenick added one on target.
The Prairie Stars now start the season 0-1-0 overall, while UAH opens with a 1-0-0 record.
The next challenge for Illinois Springfield comes Sunday, Sept. 7, when they host No.7-ranked Saginaw Valley State at 1:00 p.m. at Kiwanis Stadium.