Men's Soccer Wins Midwest District Championship, 2-1, Over Riverland CC

The Wolves are returning to the dance!

Joliet Junior College men's soccer battled Riverland Community College to a 2-1 victory on Saturday to capture the Midwest District Championship. With the win, the Wolves will make their second consecutive trip to the NJCAA Division III National Tournament.

A tightly contested game throughout, it was the Wolves that struck first when Linus Asenkerschbaumer scored in the 37th minute with help from Francisco Sanches Do Nascimento. The Wolves held the 1-0 advantage into the half.

Riverland tied things up in the 64th minute, but the Wolves defense held together to prevent them from scoring again. Aiden Shaughnessy put the Wolves back ahead in the 82nd minute when he scored off a corner kick to seal the win. 

"We controled the game for the most part but Riverland managed to capitalize on the only mistake we made," said Wolves coach Cris Trillo. "In the following 15 minutes we lost control of the game due to our doubts and nervousness. We managed to regain control of the game and score on a set play."

The Wolves had chances to score a third goal in the final eight minutes but failed to capitalize.

"In spite of the long trip and team injuries, the team showed an incredible resilience," said Trillo. "Going to Nationals two years in a row is a huge achievement for us."

The NJCAA Division III National Tournament begins on Nov. 10.