With a playoff game on the line, Joliet West rose to the challenge on Friday. Their defense stepped up to hand the Rich Township Raptors a 2-0 shutout. Given the Tigers' advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois soccer rankings (they are ranked 156th, while the Raptors are ranked 424th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Jake Polacek and
Israel Barajas scored both of Joliet West's goals, bringing their combined season tally to 12 goals.
With the victory, Joliet West broke their three-game losing streak and moved their record to 7-13-2. As for Rich Township, they have been struggling recently as they've lost 11 of their last 13 contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-16-1 record this season.
Joliet West will venture away from home to challenge Lincoln-Way Central at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Lincoln-Way Central will roll in looking for their sixth straight win, something Joliet West surely won't give up without a fight. Rich Township does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
