FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) men's soccer team secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Mount Vernon Nazarene University on Saturday, October 4 at Bishop John M. D'Arcy Stadium. With the win, the SF Cougars improved to 4-8-1 overall and 2-2 in Crossroads League play.

Saint Francis opened the scoring in the 35th minute when Nicolás Balbin found the back of the net unassisted, giving the SF Cougars a 1-0 lead. The Saint Francis defense held strong, preventing MVNU from taking any shots in the first half, allowing SF to go into halftime with a 1-0 advantage.

Mount Vernon Nazarene was able to equalize in the 54th minute when Chacho Salgado capitalized on an assist from Elkana Maier, making the score 1-1. However, the decisive goal came in the 68th minute when Unax Mendia scored unassisted, putting Saint Francis ahead 2-1. The SF Cougars successfully held off MVNU, securing their second league win of the season.

Saint Francis outshot Mount Vernon Nazarene 13-7 and held an 8-1 advantage in corner kicks. Defensively, goalkeeper Kevin Wachiaya Onelius recorded six saves across 90 minutes to secure the win. 

Up next, Saint Francis will return to action on Saturday, October 11, at Huntington University as the Cougars continue Crossroads League play.

Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the College of Health Sciences and the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Lafayette and online. Saint Francis Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis, recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution, has 21 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.