Box score

Galesburg, IL – A long drought for the Prairie Fire men’s soccer team is over.

Knox snapped a 35-match Midwest Conference winless streak with a 2-1 victory on Saturday at Jorge Prats Field against Monmouth College.

The Prairie Fire (4-3-1, 1-1-1 MWC) played Lawrence University to a 1-1 double overtime tie last Sunday in Appleton, Wisconsin, ending a 34-match losing streak in league play. 

Knox’s last Midwest Conference win was also against Monmouth College – and by a 2-1 score -- on September 27, 2008 in Monmouth.    The Fire has now won two straight games and the squad’s four victories are the most since the 2008 team won five matches.

Knox opened the scoring with a goal 31:21 into the match by senior Donald Tchopya (San Francisco, CA, Galileo Academy of Science and Technology) for a 1-0 lead.  The Prairie Fire made it 2-0 when sophomore Jacob Polay (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg) scored in the 70th minute.  Polay also assisted on Tchopya’s goal.

The Fighting Scots (1-6-1, 1-1-1 MWC) sliced the Knox lead in half on a Logan Simpson goal in the 82nd minute.  Knox held Monmouth scoreless the rest of the way to hang on for the win.

The Scots outshot the Prairie Fire 23-9 overall and 6-5 on goal

First-year net minder Sean McGovern (Chicago, IL, Niles Notre Dame) recorded five saves for Knox. 

View photos from the contest against Monmouth College at http://www.flickr.com/photos/knoxcollege/sets/72157631598348587/with/8013250478/

Riding a two-match winning streak, the Prairie Fire welcomes Eureka College (1-6) on Wednesday for a non-conference contest at 2:00 p.m.

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