CHICAGO — IU Northwest men's soccer pushed hard in the closing minutes Tuesday, but a 62nd-minute goal from Saint Xavier's Kajetan Mlynarski proved to be the difference in a 1-0 loss on the road.
The match was scoreless through the opening hour, with Carter Levesque standing tall in goal for the RedHawks, turning away shots from Americo Castaneda, Fabian Montes and Mark Vitaliy Hul to keep the game even. IU Northwest had its own chances in the first half, with Erick Gonzalez and Eric Lopez both testing Saint Xavier goalkeeper Daniel Martinez, but neither side could find the breakthrough before the break.
Saint Xavier finally broke through in the 62nd minute, when Mlynarski scored the first goal of his collegiate career off a Mark Vitaliy Hul and Mauri Martinez assist, putting the Cougars ahead, 1-0, a lead they would not relinquish.
IU Northwest refused to go away, mounting a furious push in the final 10 minutes. Chase Beals fired multiple shots on frame, Erick Gonzalez tested Martinez late, and Luis Limones had back-to-back looks denied in the closing minutes, including a headed attempt in the 88th minute. Even Levesque joined the attack in the final minutes, getting a shot on frame that Martinez turned away with the clock winding down, but the RedHawks couldn't find the equalizer.
Levesque finished with five saves in the loss, while Martinez made five of his own to preserve the clean sheet for Saint Xavier. The two sides finished even in shots at 14 apiece, a testament to how competitive the match was from start to finish.
IU Northwest returns home Saturday, Oct. 24, for Senior Day, honoring six graduating RedHawks. A celebration is set for 4:30 p.m., followed by kickoff.
