Lakers Overpower Jaguars For Senior Day Victory

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – For the first time in two years, Roosevelt recovered after conceding first to take down Governors State 3-1 on Saturday at Morris Field in a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference match.

The Lakers (5-9-0, 3-7-0 CCAC) were in full control of the match for most of the 90 minutes, finishing with a 16-5 edge in shot attempts and an 8-2 advantage in shots on goal. Yet it was the Jaguars who opened the scoring against the run of play in the 17^th minute on their only shot of the first half.

Nearly 10 minutes later, Nyah Bejarano let a shot fly, but it was blocked by the Governors State defense into the path of Gris Gurrola. The sophomore corralled the ball and sent a pass back into the middle for Paola Macias, who hit the lower right corner to tie the match.

Macias took advantage of another lucky bounce in the second half when a Governors State player tripped over herself 10 minutes into the half. Macias was there to collect the loose ball and dribble through the Jaguars defense before unleashing a shot from 30 yards out that hung in the air and floated into the upper left corner.

Gurrola put herself on the scoresheet in the 73^rd minute with a beautiful redirection of an Alex Creel free kick. The Lakers won a free kick near midfield when Macias was upended, and Creel delivered a pinpoint strike from the 45-yard line to about the 8-yard line where Gurrola met it with her head and sent it past the keeper.

Prior to the game, Roosevelt celebrated their five seniors on Senior Day. This year's honorees were Destiny Ashcraft, Bejarano, Darien Lucas, Valeria Nunez and Karen Salgado.

The Lakers close their regular season Saturday at noon against Indiana Northwest in Crown Point, Ind., with a win securing Roosevelt a spot in the CCAC Tournament.