Chargers clinch Arrowhead Conference title with 3-0 win at Illinois Valley

OGLESBY — The Sandburg men's soccer team clinched its second straight Arrowhead Conference title with a 3-0 victory Friday at Illinois Valley as the Chargers finished an unbeaten run through the league schedule.

Sandburg (11-2-3 overall) went 3-0 against conference opponents while outscoring them 12-1. It's the Chargers' third Arrowhead title for men's soccer. Sandburg shared the championship last season with Kishwaukee and won the conference's inaugural crown in 2021.

Rodrigo De la Fuente's goal in the 29th minute off an assist from Alberto Fernandez Do Carmo staked the Chargers to a 1-0 lead they took into halftime.

It remained 1-0 into the final 10 minutes before Sandburg scored twice to put the championship on ice. De la Fuente fed Luis Garcia for a goal in the 81^st minute, then Enrico Augusto Rola put away a shot off a pass from Mario Segura in the 89^th minute.

Sandburg's defense held the Eagles to just six shots on goal in the match. Lucas Sa de Albuquerque Maranhao turned away all six attempts as he recorded his sixth clean sheet of the season. It marked the seventh time overall this year the Chargers didn't concede.

REGION 4 TOURNAMENT
The Chargers now turn their attention to the Region 4 tournament, which begins with first-round contests at 2 p.m. Oct. 31. The quarterfinal round takes place at noon Nov. 3. The semifinal round is scheduled for 2 p.m. Nov. 6, and the region championship will be 3 p.m. Nov. 9 at Madison. The first three rounds will be hosted by the higher seed.

Seeds for the tournament will be decided Oct. 27. Check sandburgchargers.com after that date for details on the Chargers' postseason path. 

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