Elgin Community College men’s soccer team came out on top against Joliet Junior College with a 1-0 score last Thursday, Sept. 22. The match took place at 4 p.m. on home turf.

“We had a lot of possession, but we should have had a more comfortable lead,” said Coach Dean Smith.

In the first half of the match, ECC held about 75 percent possession of the ball and dominated the field. They spent a decent amount of the first half on the offence, and scored their winning goal on a free kick in the middle of the first half. ECC’s defense looked sturdy and wasted no time stripping the ball from JJC’s strikers.

“Defensively, we were solid,” said Smith

In the second half, things moved slower for both teams. JJC had a few good shots on goal, but were unable to score. Towards the end of the match, the action died down due to fatigue.

“We could have done better toward the end, we calmed down,” said left winger, Alex Rivera.

In review, JJC was not lacking in effort, but were less successful in following through with their plays and communicating with each other.

A notable strength with ECC was their consistent connecting passes, fluid communication and a dominating defense.

“One of our strengths was a lot of passing and a lot of good communication. It was one of our best so far,” said Rivera. “My visualization and seeing the plays were my best today.”

Attacking midfielder Irving Mendoza followed up on Rivera’s statement.

“My footwork was good, and my passing too,” said Mendoza.

The weather was perfect for the match. The match was attended by about a dozen fans, plus ECC’s women’s soccer team.