NORMAL, Ill. — The Parkland College men's soccer team battled through a physical and high-intensity matchup Thursday evening, defeating Heartland Community College 2–1 on the road. The victory marked another Region 24 regular season win for the Cobras.
Parkland came out strong in the first half, netting two quick goals to establish control. Alexander Williams opened the scoring in the 25th minute off an assist from Juliano Baptiste, followed by a strike from Pierce Cannon in the 36th minute assisted by Kaya Karabeyaz-Cowling.
In the second half, Heartland cut the deficit to one in the 76th minute, but the Cobras held firm thanks to a remarkable performance from goalkeeper Tresody Ondongo, who recorded 11 saves in the win.
"This game was exactly what we expected — physical, combative, and intense," said head coach Mark Sikora. Thankfully we came out in the first half up to the challenge, taking an early 2-0 lead. The second half was all about hanging on, bending but not breaking. The second half belonged to our goalkeeper, Tresody Ondongo! He put together a 45-minute clinic on how an in-form goalkeeper can win you a game. It was a performance of a career. Even though we have one more Region 24 match left, I'm extremely proud of this group, securing another regular season title."
With the win, Parkland improves to 8–7 overall.
Up next, the Cobras will travel to Galesburg, Illinois, on October 14th to face Clarke University.
For more information about Parkland College Athletics, visit
www.parklandcobras.com or follow @ParklandCobras on social media.