Boys Soccer: Monmouth-Roseville at Pekin Invitational

The Monmouth-Roseville boys soccer team completed a grueling stretch to start the season with a series of one-goal losses at the Pekin Invitational Friday and Saturday.

The tournament capped a six-game opening week for the Titans, which saw them go 1-4-1 overall.

M-R saved its best for last at the tournament, putting together a strong second half in its tourney finale against IVC. Trailing 2-0 at halftime, the Titans held a 16-3 advantage in second-half shots, putting two shots off the crossbar and having a goal waved off due to offsides. They did put one ball in the back of the net, when Sebastian Aguilera-Perez netted a penalty kick with 23:30 to play, but the final score stayed at 2-1, despite a 23-9 overall edge in shots for M-R.

A penalty kick was the Titans’ downfall in the tourney opener, when they fell 3-2 to Illini Bluffs. With just 35 seconds to play in the second half, the Tigers were awarded a PK, and IB’s Kash Nolte converted the spot kick. M-R had rallied from a goal down twice during the match, with Kevin Vazquez scoring off an assist from Cee Sarcomo in the first half and Sarcomo netting a goal in the second half to once again equalize the score.

In M-R’s middle of the game of the tourney, Pekin scored a pair of second-half goals, including a deflected shot that found the back of the net with just under eight minutes to play. Sarcomo set up Salvador Mora Ruiz with a pretty pass for a goal with 1:44 left, but the Titans didn’t get off another shot and fell 2-1.