Box Scores
The men's soccer team hoped to save its best match for last - snap a losing streak with a Midwest Conference win in the final contest of the season - but Monmouth College would have none of it and handed the Prairie Fire a 3-0 loss Tuesday afternoon in Monmouth.
The Fighting Scots three days earlier blanked Illinois College 2-0 in Monmouth that ended a five-match losing skid during which they were outscored 10-1. The victory against the Blueboys was Monmouth’s first at home and the Scots were hoping to build on that in their final home match against the Prairie Fire before heading out on the road Sunday for the season finale at Lake Forest College.
Meanwhile, the Prairie Fire wanted to end the season on a positive note by putting to rest a stretch of nine straight losses that dated back to September 22.
Monmouth (4-11, 3-5 MWC) got off a quick start, scoring the first goal of the match at the 7:10 mark when Isaac Hernandez found the back of the net for the second time this season on a play that gave assists to both Jordan Lankford and Garrett White. The Prairie Fire then encountered bad luck as Monmouth was credited with a score goal at the 21:33 mark when the ball got past Knox sophomore goalie Robert Porter (Tucson, Arizona) after deflecting off of the cross, officially scored as "OWN GOAL" - or an unassisted goal by the Prairie Fire for the Fighting Scots that gave the hosts a 2-0 lead.
The Prairie Fire defense held Monmouth scoreless the over the final 23:27 of the first stanza to stay within striking distance after 45 minutes of play.
Monmouth College got off eight shots on goal to two for the Prairie Fire -- one each by junior Marcos Moreno (East Moline, Illinois) and sophomore Donald Tchopya (San Francisco, California). The Scots tallied six total shots in the first half to the Fire's five, and then outshot Knox 9-3 in the second period for a 15-8 advantage.
Monmouth's final score happened early in the 55th minute when Josh Del Valle made the most of a breakaway for his second goal of the season that boosted the Scots' lead to 3-0, which would be the final score.
Porter had six saves in goal for the Prairie Fire. Junior Eric Denson (St. Louis, Missouri) played the last minute minding the net for Knox.
Nicholas Vyncke and Frank Bowman split the match in goal for Monmouth College. Both got credit for one save as the two combined for a shutout.
Knox College concluded the season with a 2-15-1 overall record, including an 0-9 mark in Midwest Conference matches in head coach Kevwe Akpore's first season at the helm.
First-year midfielder Maxwell Gatyas led the team in both goals (11) and points (26) and tied for the team lead in assists. He and junior forward Luca Rajola-Pescarini had four assists apiece for the Prairie Fire.
Visit www.knox.edu/Stats/menssoccer10/TEAMCUME.htm for the final 2010 Prairie Fire men's soccer season statistics.
