VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The seventh-seeded Illinois Tech men's soccer team opened up USCAA Championships Pool Play on Thursday, opposing second-seeded Maine-Fort Kent. The traditional USCAA powerhouse used a strong second half to defeat Tech 4-0.

How it Happened

• The Bengals started fast and controlled most of the possession early, but the Scarlet Hawks defense managed to hold UMFK to just one shot over the first 11 minutes of action.
• Maine-Fort Kent broke through in the 11th minute, as James Blanchett scored on a Stefan Petricevic cross.
• For the remainder of the first half, the Scarlet Hawks challenged the favorites both offensively and defensively. Tech was able to create chances on offense and even out the game's possession time, but the Bengals held a 1-0 lead heading into intermission.
• After halftime, the Bengals found a second gear early on, attempting six shots in the first 10 minutes. UMFK scored in the 47th (Miguel Barnaby) and 54th (Blanchett, from Petricevic) minutes to extend the lead to 3-0.
• While the Scarlet Hawks managed to generate some chances, Maine's offense remained on display with 14 second-half shots. The Bengals' Shawn Genus scored in the 84th minute for the match's final tally.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

• Brandon Bortei-Doku attempted three shots.
• Diego Gutierrez Coronel had two shots (one on goal).
• Christopher Reed and Zachary Whritenour each attempted a shot on goal.

Stats to Know

• The Scarlet Hawks fell to 13-5-1 on the year.
• Tech was outshot 24-8, marking only the second time this season the team was outshot in a match (last: October 15 in a 2-1 loss at Elmhurst College).
• The shutout was Tech's third of the season and first since a 2-0 loss to Beloit College on Saturday, September 16.

Up Next

• Tech has one more pool play contest on Saturday at 4:45 p.m. eastern time against #11 Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. For the Scarlet Hawks to reach the bracket portion of the tournament on Sunday, ACPHS must defeat UMFK on Friday before a Tech win on Saturday, forcing a three-way tiebreaker scenario.