JEFFERSON CITY, MO. - The Quincy University men's soccer team faced a tough road test against Lincoln University on Sunday, October 18, falling 2-0 in Jefferson City, Missouri.
The Hawks battled throughout the contest and recorded five shots on goal, but Lincoln found the back of the net once in each half to secure the victory.
Lincoln opened the scoring just over four minutes into the match. After an early attempt was saved by Quincy goalkeeper
Jake Offerman, Lincoln capitalized on the opportunity to take a 1-0 lead at the 4:04 mark.
Offerman made an early save to try to keep the Hawks within reach as both teams worked to establish their rhythm.
Quincy looked to respond as the half progressed, with
Josh Nwosu putting a shot on target in the ninth minute that was saved by the Lincoln goalkeeper. The Hawks continued to create opportunities, and
Leo Cann tested the opposing keeper with back-to-back shots in the 30th minute, both of which were saved.
Rylan Fischer and
Mathias Bringedal also contributed shots during the opening half as Quincy searched for an equalizer.
Defensively, the Hawks worked to limit Lincoln's opportunities after the early goal. Offerman recorded two saves in the first half, while Quincy earned a corner kick in the 24th minute.
Lincoln held a 3-1 advantage in corner kicks through the opening 45 minutes, but Quincy remained within one goal at halftime.
The Hawks entered the second half looking to even the score, but Lincoln applied pressure early.
Lincoln earned two corner kicks in the opening two minutes of the half and continued to test the Quincy defense with several attempts. Offerman came up with another save in the 50th minute, helping keep the deficit at one.
Quincy worked to generate chances of its own as the half continued. Nwosu recorded a shot in the 62nd minute, while
Carter Venvertloh added an attempt in the 66th minute.
The Hawks also created opportunities from corner kicks, earning three in the second half as they looked to find a breakthrough.
Fischer put a shot on target in the 75th minute, but the Lincoln goalkeeper made the save. Just moments later, at 74:47, Lincoln doubled its advantage with its second goal of the afternoon, making it a 2-0 contest.
The goal gave the home side additional breathing room as Quincy continued to push forward in search of a response.
Bringedal followed with a shot on target in the 76th minute, but the attempt was saved. Quincy continued to battle through the closing stages, while Offerman made additional stops to finish with five saves on the afternoon.
Lincoln threatened again late, including an attempt that struck the woodwork in the 86th minute, but the Hawks continued competing until the final whistle.
Quincy finished with eight total shots, putting five on target, while Lincoln recorded 14 shots with seven on goal. Both teams finished with five saves.
Lincoln held an 8-4 advantage in corner kicks, while Quincy was called for 13 fouls compared to Lincoln's 14 with each team receiving one yellow card.
Despite the result, Quincy continued to generate scoring opportunities throughout the match, with Cann recording two shots on goal and Nwosu contributing two total shots.
Offerman's five saves also helped keep the Hawks in contention as they worked to close the gap in the second half.
Quincy moves to 6-3-7 overall and 5-2-6 in conference play, placing the Hawks fifth in the conference standings as they continue their push through the final stretch of the regular season.
The Hawks will travel to Kirksville, MO for their final regular season match against Truman State University for a start time of 7:30 PM.
