Avila Loses Heartbreaker to #23 McKendree 1-0

Lebanon, IL - The Eagles gave McKendree all they could handle tonight on their home field but fell short 1-0. McKendree had not been challenged this hard all season as the Eagles rebounded well from a tough defeat the night before. In a game that saw multiple opportunities for both teams and physical play, McKendree scored an own goal with 17 minutes remaining to sneak by the Eagles. The stat sheet shows that McKendree controlled possession by outshooting the Eagles 18-3 but the Eagles played their best game of the season and had many opportunities to sneak a goal in. The best opportunity came off a free kick from Roberto Camacho with less than 5 minutes to play that hit the crossbar and bound over the goal.

Coach Clements is extremely proud of how the team played tonight, "We knew coming in that we would have to play our best to have a chance to win and that is exactly what we did. The boys played with a lot of passion and heart and I am proud of them. Although we came up on the losing side, I thought the kids battled hard for the full 90 minutes and now we know what it takes to play at a high level. The intensity shown tonight is how we need to play every match the rest of the season."

Chris Kalicak played a great game in the pipes recording 6 saves.

Avila is now 0-3 for the season. The Eagles open their 2009 home campaign on Wednesday when they face the Ottawa University Braves in an 8PM match at Swope Park in Kansas City.