Story and photo courtesy of Barry McNamara
PEKIN, Ill. – Late goals by Angel Jurado and Bruntsh Bolese lifted the Monmouth-Roseville soccer team to the championship of the Pekin Invitational Tournament.
The Titans secured the title at the four-team, round robin event by tying the host Dragons 1-1 in their second of two games Saturday. In the other, M-R defeated Illini Bluffs for the second time in a four-day span, winning 2-0.
Jurado’s big goal came Friday night in M-R’s tournament opener, a 2-1 victory over Illinois Valley Central. With 6:18 to play and the score tied 1-1, Daniel Cinzah crossed in a ball from the right wing. It found Francisco Tomas Francisco, who played it back to Jurado at the edge of the penalty box. The senior captain blasted a shot into the net inside the far post. Cinzah had given M-R a 1-0 halftime lead off an assist from Elijah Sang, but IVC tied the score 10 minutes into the second half on a first-touch finish by Dylan Norris off a cross from Grant Bramer.
In M-R’s early game Saturday, Sang scored on a rebound early in the second half when Will Uptmoore couldn’t hold onto a shot by Cinzah. Bolese provided the other goal six minutes later on a blast from the right side, assisted by Biak Ceu.
Bolese and Jurado combined on the goal against Pekin that secured the tourney trophy. Pekin took a late 1-0 lead when the Dragons’ goalie, Tyler Cole, made a PK with 12:17 left in the game. One minute later, after being awarded an indirect kick at the edge of the box, Jurado touched the ball forward to Bolese, whose high shot beat Cole. The result gave M-R two wins and a tie at the tourney, while Pekin had a win and two ties.
Now 3-1-1 on the season, M-R returns to action Wednesday with a rescheduled game against A-Town at Pattee Fields.
