QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University men's soccer team continued its unbeaten run through GLVC play Wednesday afternoon, using three first-half goals and the first career brace from
Josh Nwosu to take down Illinois Springfield 4-2 at Legends Stadium.
The victory moved Quincy to 5-1-3 overall and 4-0-2 in conference play. The Hawks controlled the attacking numbers throughout the match, finishing with an 18-7 advantage in shots and putting six attempts on goal.
Quincy wasted little time getting on the board, striking just five minutes into the match. Goalkeeper
Jake Offerman started the attack with a long free kick that traveled to the opposite side of the field.
Mathias Bringedal got on the end of it and found
Leo Cann, who finished the opportunity to give the Hawks an early 1-0 lead.
The goal was Cann's seventh of the season and 15th of his career.
Less than three minutes later, Cann helped double the advantage. He delivered a beautiful cross into the box, where Bringedal rose up and headed it home at the 7:54 mark to make it 2-0. The goal was Bringedal's third of the season and seventh of his career.
Illinois Springfield answered in the 12th minute to cut the lead to 2-1, but Quincy restored its two-goal advantage before halftime.
Erik Abraham started the play with a header that split a pair of UIS defenders and found Cann moving forward. Cann then located Nwosu in the middle of the field, and Nwosu finished the chance in the 33rd minute for a 3-1 Quincy lead.
The Hawks carried that advantage into halftime after outshooting the Prairie Stars 8-1 over the opening 45 minutes.
Nwosu struck again in the 64th minute. A ball sent across the field by the Quincy defense was headed back in the wrong direction by a UIS defender, leaving Nwosu alone on a breakaway. He capitalized on the opportunity for his second goal of the match, extending the lead to 4-1.
The performance marked the second brace of Nwosu's collegiate career and brought his career total to 11 goals.
Illinois Springfield pulled one back just 38 seconds later to make it 4-2, but the Hawks kept the Prairie Stars off the board the rest of the way to secure the conference victory.
Cann finished the afternoon with one goal and two assists, while Bringedal added a goal and an assist. Nwosu led the scoring effort with his two goals, and Abraham picked up an assist on Quincy's third tally. Offerman also recorded an assist on the opening goal.
The Hawks return to action Saturday when they host William Jewell College at Legends Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 PM.
