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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Graeca
Graeca's dramatic goal gave the Blue Streaks a giant road win. 
1
Winner John Carroll JCUM (3-2-2)
0
Univ. of Chicago UCM (5-2-1)
Winner
John Carroll JCUM
(3-2-2)
1
Final
0
Univ. of Chicago UCM
(5-2-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
John Carroll JCUM 0 1 1
Univ. of Chicago UCM 0 0 0

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Penn State Behrend

9/29/2021 | 7:00 PM

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Sep. 29 (Wed) / 7:00 PM
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Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Anna Meyer, Staff Writer

Graeca's Game-Winning Goal Grabs Victory for Men's Soccer over No. 9 UChicago

CHICAGO, Ill. -- A 24-day winless drought ended Saturday afternoon in a last-minute 1-0 thriller victory for John Carroll University Men's Soccer against the No. 9 University of Illinois. 

Patience paid off for the Blue Streaks as they headed into a 0-0 game in the 89th minute with only one shot in the contest. In the last 15 seconds, John Carroll found their way to come out victorious courtesy of the newcomers.

The heroes for the Blue and Gold came from the class of 2025. Freshman Jack Foht launched a pass to Nicholas Graeca for a one-timer shot. Graeca, off the bench, found the back of the net, lifting the Blue Streaks ahead 1-0 with 15 seconds left in the 90-minute contest.

Graeca's game-winning goal was the second goal of his collegiate career. 

"Graeca stepped up in a massive way this afternoon,'' said John Carroll Head Coach Dejan Mladenovic '06. "Coming into this team as a first-year player, he has made tremendous strides to earn extended playing time. I am excited to watch him continue to develop within our system."

The meeting between the two teams, is only the third meeting of all time. Their last match against the University of Chicago was on Sept. 26, 2006. 

Throughout the game, John Carroll's defense stood firm as the University of Chicago led the offensive efforts throughout the match, recording eight shots, four of which landed on the net. 

"Our defense was on point today," noted Mladenovic, "No matter who we put on the field today, they knew their role and did their job. Connor Gynn made a fantastic save late in the match to keep us in the game, and there were many elite individual performances that we needed to get this result."

Senior Connor Gynn was credited with three saves during the match. Gynn's record improved to 2-2-1 throughout the fall 2021 season. 

This win marks John Carroll's second of the season against a Top 25 ranked team. 

"I am extremely proud of our team today," said Mladenovic. "The University of Chicago is a top program in the nation, and I felt we did a great job competing in a week where we faced an extreme amount of adversity. Our effort was exceptional and something we can continue to build off."

The Blue Streaks (3-2-2) return home this week and look to continue their win streak against Penn State Behrend. The match is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. 
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Players Mentioned

Connor Gynn

#0 Connor Gynn

GK
6' 3"
Senior
Jack Foht

#12 Jack Foht

F
6' 0"
First Year
Nicholas Graeca

#20 Nicholas Graeca

M
5' 9"
First Year

Players Mentioned

Connor Gynn

#0 Connor Gynn

6' 3"
Senior
GK
Jack Foht

#12 Jack Foht

6' 0"
First Year
F
Nicholas Graeca

#20 Nicholas Graeca

5' 9"
First Year
M

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