GALESBURG — Rock Valley scored in the 78th minute to defeat the Carl Sandburg College men’s soccer team 1-0 on Tuesday afternoon, snapping the Chargers’ five-game win streak and ending their Region 4 Division II tournament run in the semifinal round.
Scoring chances were few and far between on a frigid day with winds gusting across Knox College’s Jorge Prats Field, but the sixth-seeded Golden Eagles made the most of an opportunity as the match ticked toward its closing minutes.
On a restart from the other side of midfield, Rock Valley’s Jorge Leon got the first touch and played the ball into the air. The ball bounced just outside the top of the box near Taylor Sowell, who boxed out a Chargers defender, turned and rifled a half-volley into the top right corner of the goal.
Sandburg (12-3-2), ranked No. 20 in the country and the second seed in the region, had seven shot attempts but was unable to put any on frame.
The Chargers had several players who came in battling injuries or were shaken up during the match, including goalkeeper Tian Poyo Capilla, who came off the field in the 72nd minute with a head injury and was replaced by Lucas Maranhao. Capilla had stopped all four Golden Eagles shots on goal to that point.
Rock Valley, which improved to 8-0-2 in its last 10 games, advances to Saturday’s championship against the winner of the other semifinal between Prairie State and Kishwaukee. That match was halted Tuesday due to inclement weather conditions with the score 1-1 at the end of regulation and will be completed today.
