QUINCY, Ill. - The Quincy University men's soccer team delivered a strong second-half performance Saturday afternoon at Jack Mackenzie Field, defeating Southwest Baptist University 2-0.
After a scoreless opening 45 minutes, the Hawks broke through with two second-half goals from
Leo Cann and
Mathias Bringedal to secure the victory.
Quincy also capitalized on a man advantage after the Bearcats were reduced to 10 players, while goalkeeper
Jake Offerman reached a significant career milestone by surpassing 100 career saves.
The opening half featured opportunities on both sides as Quincy and Southwest Baptist looked to establish control. The Bearcats created several early chances, including a shot from Thomas Ladetto Spuches that forced Offerman into a save in the ninth minute.
Southwest Baptist continued to test the Quincy defense throughout the half, but the Hawks remained organized and limited the visitors' ability to turn their opportunities into goals.
Quincy gradually found its rhythm offensively, with
Rylan Fischer putting pressure on the Bearcats' defense through a pair of attempts in the 17th and 20th minutes. Cann also looked to generate an opportunity in the 26th minute, while the Hawks began building momentum late in the half.
Quincy created a promising stretch in the final 10 minutes before halftime, earning consecutive corner kicks in the 38th minute. Cann forced a save from Southwest Baptist goalkeeper Jan-Henry Schafer, and
Rodrigo Bandeira and
Riley White added attacking chances as the Hawks pushed for the opening goal.
Despite the increased pressure, neither team found the net, and the sides entered halftime tied 0-0.
The intensity picked up after the break, with Quincy continuing to attack and Southwest Baptist attempting to keep pace.
In the 51st minute, the Hawks earned a penalty kick following a foul by Maxence Cardon, who received a yellow card.
Josh Nwosu stepped up for the attempt, but Schafer made the save to keep the match scoreless.
The game took another significant turn shortly afterward. Southwest Baptist received additional yellow cards, including one issued to Justin McPherson, before McPherson was shown a red card in the 53rd minute. The dismissal left the Bearcats playing with 10 men against Quincy's 11, giving the Hawks a numerical advantage for the remainder of the contest.
Quincy continued to press forward, working to turn that advantage into a breakthrough. The Hawks' persistence paid off in the 70th minute, when Cann found the back of the net at 69:01 to give Quincy a 1-0 lead.
Fischer and
Lucca Barbero were credited with assists on the goal, combining to set up Cann's finish and finally break the deadlock.
With the lead secured, Quincy looked to add some breathing room while maintaining its defensive discipline. Cann remained dangerous in the attacking third, and the Hawks continued generating opportunities through the closing stages. Cann struck the woodwork in the 82nd minute, then hit the frame again in the 86th minute as Quincy came close to extending its advantage.
The Hawks finally added their second goal at 85:43.
John Drew provided the assist to Bringedal, who finished the opportunity to make it 2-0. The late goal gave Quincy valuable insurance and capped a second half in which the Hawks outshot Southwest Baptist 14-5.
Southwest Baptist continued to search for a response, but Offerman and the Quincy defense held firm.
Offerman recorded four saves across 90 minutes, including important stops on attempts from Ladetto Spuches in the first half and Nathaniel Velasquez and Joe Wright in the second. The shutout marked another strong performance for the Quincy goalkeeper, who surpassed 100 career saves during the contest.
The final statistics reflected Quincy's attacking pressure. The Hawks finished with 22 shots compared to 14 for Southwest Baptist, putting eight attempts on target while the Bearcats recorded four shots on goal. Quincy also held a 5-2 advantage in corner kicks.
With the 2-0 victory, Quincy improved to 6-2-6 overall and 5-1-5 in conference play. They currently sit in the fourth place spot in conference standings.
The Hawks combined a strong defensive effort with second-half execution to earn the shutout, while Cann and Bringedal delivered the goals that made the difference. Offerman's milestone added another highlight to the afternoon, as Quincy left Jack Mackenzie Field with a conference victory, a clean sheet and a memorable career achievement for its goalkeeper.
Quincy will return to play on Wednesday, October 14th against Upper Iowa University hosted at Quincy, with kickoff at 5:30 PM.
