BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — August 22, 2025 — Parkland College men's soccer opened the 2025 season in thrilling fashion, rallying late to defeat Illinois Wesleyan University 2-1 on Friday evening. The Cobras trailed through the second half but showed resilience, scoring twice in the closing minutes to claim their first victory of the year.

"We saw a team today that fought for each other for 90 minutes and were rewarded with a win," remarked head assistant coach Josh Stebbins. Christophin Ngassam sparked the comeback, finding the back of the net in the 84th minute to level the score. Just minutes later, Juliano Baptiste buried the go-ahead goal off a setup from Gustavo Poli, giving the Cobras a 2-1 advantage they would not relinquish. Poli finished the night with two assists, orchestrating both Parkland goals.

Defensively, goalkeeper Hayden Litteken and the Cobra back line held strong against a steady Illinois Wesleyan attack, limiting the Titans to a single score despite 11 total shots. Parkland recorded nine shots of its own, with five on target, and capitalized when it mattered most to start the season 1-0.

Stebbins added, "Really I could say something about all the efforts put in and the different roles players adapted to during the match because it takes a collective effort to get the result."

Up next, the Cobras will host Harper College on Thursday, August 28th. 

For more information about Parkland College Athletics, visit www.parklandcobras.com or follow @ParklandCobras on social media.