The Rockhurst men's soccer team continued its late-season surge Saturday (Oct. 24), defeating Illinois Springfield 3-1 at Kiwanis Stadium behind goals from Blake Barrick, Riley McGill and Ozonna Ugbaja.
The victory marked Rockhurst's second consecutive win after defeating William Jewell earlier in the week and improved the Hawks to 6-6-4 overall and 5-4-4 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play.
Rockhurst opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when Barrick found the back of the net off assists from Rhys Laws and McGill. Illinois Springfield responded in the 32nd minute with a goal from Gentil Selemani, evening the match at 1-1.
The Hawks wasted little time regaining control, as McGill scored in the 40th minute off an assist from Nick Marchetti to give Rockhurst a 2-1 advantage heading into halftime. McGill finished the afternoon with a goal and an assist, continuing his strong offensive play as the team's leading goal scorer entering the week.
Rockhurst maintained its offensive pressure throughout the second half, outshooting the Prairie Stars 12-4 over the final 45 minutes. The Hawks created several scoring opportunities before Ugbaja delivered the insurance goal in the 77th minute off an assist from Barrick, extending the lead to 3-1.
Barrick finished with a goal and an assist, matching McGill with a three-point performance. Laws and Marchetti each added an assist, while Ugbaja provided a spark off the bench with his second-half goal. The Hawks controlled much of the match offensively, finishing with a 21-11 advantage in shots, including a 12-5 edge in shots on goal. Rockhurst also earned seven corner kicks while holding Illinois Springfield without a corner opportunity.
Freshman goalkeeper Luke Strueby played all 90 minutes in goal for Rockhurst, recording four saves while allowing just one goal. The Hawks' defense held the Prairie Stars scoreless throughout the second half to secure the road victory.
Rockhurst will close out its regular season Tuesday (Oct. 27) on the road against Southwest Baptist in Bolivar, Missouri, with kickoff scheduled for 1:30 p.m. The Hawks remain in contention for a spot in the GLVC Tournament but have not yet officially clinched a postseason berth. With conference standings still tightly contested, Tuesday's results will play a crucial role in determining the final tournament field and seeding. A victory would secure Rockhurst's postseason position as the Hawks look to carry their late-season momentum into conference tournament play.
