(Sugar Grove, IL) – Elgin Community College men's soccer team pulled away in the second half to down Waubonsee Community College 5-1 in their Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) match. The Spartans (5-1-1, 2-0-1), receiving votes in the top 25 of the latest NJCAA Division II poll, booked four second half goals to earn the road win on a beautiful fall Tuesday afternoon on the Chiefs' pitch. 

The Spartans jumped on the Chiefs (2-3-1, 1-2) on their first possession, with Christian Escobedo scoring just over a minute into the contest. Great ball movement by Elgin produced one of the quickest goals ever tallied against Waubonsee in program history. The teams then played somewhat evenly the rest of the first half as Chiefs' keeper Adrian Chavez and Spartans' keeper Maksym Kharchenko each booked three saves. Waubonsee nearly got on the board in the 23^rd minute when Jayden Patino was taken down in the box, giving the Chiefs a penalty kick. However, the 6'2" Kharchenko rose to the occasion, diving to his left to knock away Mauro Munoz's ensuing shot. In the 40^th minute Patino got off a shot 10 yards out on the right side, but again Kharchenko dove and knocked it away. The half ended with Elgin holding a slim 1-0 lead while out shooting the Chiefs 9-5 overall.

Waubonsee then pulled even in the 52^nd minute when Munoz got a crossing pass and blasted a shot right past Kharchenko from 10 yards out. However, the Spartans responded almost immediately as Chavez got caught too far out of the net and Northridge, California native Gabriel Arias chipped a shot up and over him from 22 yards out. Elgin then turned up the pressure and began to dictate much of the action. Atlai Gutierrez then tacked on a third goal for Elgin as he maneuvered to get off a left-footed shot from 10 yards out in the 73^rdminute. The ball found the back of the net in the upper left corner to put the Spartans in front 3-1. Elgin tallied a fourth score when a free kick by Adrian Diaz deflected off a Chiefs' defender and bounced into the far-left corner of the net in 79^th minute. The Spartans were awarded a penalty kick three minutes later and Diaz converted it for a 5-1 lead.

Overall, the Spartans outshot the Chiefs 21-10 for the match, including an 18-6 edge in shots on goal. Chavez finished with 13 saves, with seven of those coming in the second half. Kharchenko was credited with five saves on the day. Waubonsee is in action again this coming Saturday, September 13, when they head north to take on Madison (WI) College for a nighttime match starting at 7:00 p.m. north of the border. The Chiefs return home next Tuesday, September 16, when they host McHenry County College beginning at 4:00 p.m.