CLAREMORE, Okla. —Second-half magic from
Alex Fletcher propelled No. 6 Rogers State men's soccer (1-0-0) to a 1-0 victory over McKendree (0-1-0) in the season opener Thursday night at Soldier Field.
The first period began with the Hillcats taking the offensive advantage as
Brandon O'Rourke fired the initial shot in the 2nd minute, missing out top left.
Mario Lopez Ayuso's shot on target at 4:16 was stopped by McKendree's goalkeeper, Filip Borka, who made multiple saves throughout the period. RSU continued to apply pressure, with
Ashton Medina and
Sam Ryder each taking shots that missed the target. On the defensive end, freshman
Tristan Miller was pivotal for the Cats in his first career start, making critical saves against Philipp Muehlhans and Owen Lewis. Despite several attempts from both sides, the first period concluded scoreless.
The Hillcats secured the 1-0 victory over the Bearcats with the game-winner in the second period. Fletcher scored the only goal of the match in the 63rd minute, assisted by O'Rourke. McKendree attempted to equalize with several shots, but Miller made crucial saves, notably stopping Joseph Lozano's attempt in the 71st minute and Dylan Gloviak's shot in the 89th minute. Despite McKendree's efforts, including multiple corner kicks in the final minutes, RSU maintained its lead to close out the game.
Miller (1-0) recorded five saves, securing a shutout in his 90 minutes on the field. Fletcher scored the game-winning goal, his only shot on target. O'Rourke contributed with an assist. Additionally, Medina fired off three shots, and Ryder played the full 90 minutes.
RSU will return to action at Soldier Field on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. to take on the Maryville Saints. Maryville edged RSU's in-state foe, Southern Nazarene, in the first game of the day, 2-0.
