JP Garza picked up his third game-winning goal – and the third in as many wins – to help lead the Purdue University Calumet men’s soccer team to a 3-0 shutout over two-time defending league champion Cardinal Stritch Saturday.
The Peregrines (6-5-1, 4-2-1) picked up their second shutout of the season in the victory over the Wolves (4-7-1, 2-3-1), the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular-season champions in both 2013 and 2012.
Garza (San Antonio, Texas/Reagan) broke a scoreless tie in the 32nd minute with his flick past the Stritch keeper on a breakaway after freshman teammate Zac Doepke (Troy, Mich./Troy) delivered the ball up from midfield.
With the Peregrines leading 1-0 at the break, it was junior Papa Otoo (Bradenton, Fla./Braden River) who benefited from yet another assist from Doepke, who passed it to the streaking forward on the left side of the field. With a one-versus-one situation, Otoo deftly delivered the ball to the left post, where it glanced off and in to give the Peregrines a two-goal lead in the 50th minute.
The goal gave Otoo his first goal in five matches and his fifth of the season, a team best.
Senior Sahid Navarro (Chicago, Ill./Brooks/South Suburban) would add one more score in the 70th, tallying his first goal of the season off an unassisted header in the box after the Stritch keeper couldn’t corral the ball.
Freshman keeper Miguel David (Spring Valley, Calif./Bonita Vista) stopped two shots in the win, as the Peregrines outshot the Wolves by a slim margin, 10-9.
The Peregrines defeated the Wolves for the first time in school history since the program was reinstated in 2012 after nearly a 15-year hiatus.
Purdue Calumet picks up their 13th point in the CCAC with the victory, which also propels the Peregrines into second place in the league standings behind Judson (4-1-1) and just ahead of Roosevelt (4-0).
The Peregrines return to action Oct. 22 when they travel to Roosevelt for an important league showdown.