EAST CHICAGO, Ind. — Cesar Lopez scored twice, including the go-ahead goal in the 17th minute, as IU Northwest men's soccer held off Alma College, 2-1, at home Saturday to improve to 4-2-0 on the season.
Lopez opened the scoring just five-and-a-half minutes in, converting a penalty kick to give the Redhawks an early 1-0 lead. Alma answered in the 15th minute when they leveled the score at 1-1 off a team-assisted sequence, but IU Northwest wasted little time responding. Less than two minutes later, Lopez struck again, finishing off a Luis Limones assist to put the Redhawks back in front, 2-1, a lead they would not relinquish.
From there, both goalkeepers took over. Carter Levesque was tested repeatedly in the second half, turning away shot after shot from Alma's attack and finished the match with seven saves to backstop the win. Alma's Landon Soule kept his side within range with six saves of his own, denying Eric Lopez three times in the first half alone.
IU Northwest held a slight edge in total shots, 12-11, with Eric Lopez, Gavin Niebel and Cesar Lopez combining for the bulk of the Redhawks' offensive pressure. Gavin Niebel had two more good looks denied by Soule in the second half as IU Northwest searched for insurance, but the 2-1 scoreline held to the final whistle.
IU Northwest is back in action for a Labor Day matinee, hosting IU Columbus on Monday, Sept. 7, at East Chicago Central High School. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. CDT.
