ST. LOUIS – Ahmed Suljagic broke a halftime tie in the 55th minute to lift the Maryville men's soccer team to a 2-1 win over McKendree on Saturday. Omar Cillic also scored for the Saints, adding on for his fourth goal of the week, building on his hat trick against the Southwest Baptist Bearcats.
Maryville outshot McKendree 25-13, including a 16-6 advantage in the second half.
Asgrimur Vidisson made five saves to preserve the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Cillic opened the scoring at 15:08, finishing a chance set up by
Alex Smeins for his fifth goal of the season. Smeins, just inside the box skipped a pass between a pair of Bearcats, finding Cillic who snuck it past the Bearcat keeper for the first score of the day.
With 20 minutes left in the first, Jan Fulnke would get dinged with a foul just inside the box, gifting McKendree a prime opportunity to equalize. That opportunity did not go wasted as the Bearcats converted on the penalty, sending the teams into halftime tied 1-1.
A corner early in the second half put the Bearcats on the backburner as the Saints mounted more and more pressure. Eventually a pair of slick passes right on the Big Red M at centerfield poked the ball out wide where crafty work by
Yayo Mutombo made just enough room for a perfectly time cross which Suljagic headed home for the eventual winner.
Maryville continued to create chances, but McKendree threatened late. Vidisson made three second-half saves, including two in quick succession in the 80th minute, to keep the Saints in front.
UP NEXT
The Saints are heading on the road, going to Upper Iowa for their first GLVC road match Wednesday, Sept. 23.
