Rock Island, Ill. -- The Wheaton men's soccer team returned to its conference schedule on Wednesday evening by traveling to western Illinois for a road test at Augustana College. The Thunder twice held the lead in tonight's game, but the hosting Vikings were able to fight back to claim a 2-2 draw in a lively and evenly-matched encounter. The full-time result halted Augie's five-game skid against the Thunder while also extending Wheaton's unbeaten run in the head-to-head series to 17 matches dating back to 2010. The Thunder now own a 1-1-1 mark in CCIW competition, and the Vikings are still awaiting their first league win at 0-2-2.
Wheaton stunned the home crowd on Wednesday by snatching an early lead on the first shot attempt of the game.
Isaac Lucas won the ball from an Augie turnover in midfield and threaded it through to
Cooper Falling, who drove forward into the right side of the box and calmly powered his shot toward the bottom left corner less than three minutes into the contest. The Vikings' response was fast and furious, as the hosts rattled off the next six efforts at goal and forced the first of
Luke McGuire's four saves on the night around the 15-minute mark. Falling threatened again on 20 minutes with a low drive, but this time the opposing shot-stopper was able to keep it out. Augustana won a corner right at the 30-minute mark, and the delayed delivery into the penalty area from the Vikings' back line was met by an Augie head in the center of the box to equalize at 1-1.
The two sides traded corner kick opportunities in their subsequent exchanges, before
Ciaran Byrne drew an excellent diving stop from the Augustana goalie in the 37th minute. Two minutes later, Wheaton's pressure paid off as a good flick-on header from a throw-in fell to
Luke Vander Kolk, who cushioned the ball onto the foot of
Sam Brown. The hometown sophomore took one touch towards the penalty area before hitting a teasing pass across the box towards the advancing Falling. The midfielder faced a tight angle from the right side of the six-yard box, but he was still able to find the back of the net with a clinical first-time dispatch around the isolated goalkeeper.
His second finish of the night marked his team-leading sixth strike of the season and moved him level with Lucas on a squad-best 14 points this fall. Augustana put one more shot on target in the closing minutes of the opening period, and the goal-hungry Falling almost completed a first-half hat trick with a fizzing drive to the near post that was beaten away. But the Thunder maintained a 2-1 advantage heading into the break.
The home side attempted a pair of shots in the first five minutes of the second half, but no efforts were put on frame and no saves were recorded by either team until Augie equalized on 60 minutes. A Vikings midfielder was able to work his way out of a tight spot on the right wing when surrounded by Thunder defenders and found his central partner in clear space. A perfectly-weighted diagonal slicer was then served up for Augustana's striker, who timed his run well and knocked the ball past the out-rushing keeper from 10 yards for his team's second equalizer of the evening.
Buoyed by this tying goal, the hosts mostly controlled proceedings for the reminder of the game and drew two more stops from McGuire amid multiple set piece looks and attacking momentum. The visitors only managed one more shot on target in the closing stretch, but Wheaton did enough defensively to repel Augustana's efforts to find a late winner and secured a valuable point on the road.
The Vikings posted six more shot attempts than the Thunder tonight at a 19-13 tilt, but Wheaton was more calibrated in its finishing, directing seven efforts on goal compared to Augie's six. The hosts tallied eight corner kicks to the guests' five and earned a narrow 52-48% edge in ball possession across the 90 minutes.
Falling led all players with eight shots, five attempts on frame, and two goals in a noteworthy offensive display. Brown, Lucas, and Vander Kolk were each credited with an assist this evening, while Byrne and
Brody Prochnow accounted for Wheaton's other efforts on goal.
The Thunder return home to face Carthage College on Saturday. Kick-off is scheduled for 7 PM at Joe Bean Stadium.
