Mapessa Strike Not Enough as Saint Francis Rallies Past Trojans

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Giulio Mapessa's spectacular long-range goal wasn't enough Wednesday night as Saint Francis scored twice before halftime to hand Taylor a 2-1 defeat at Bishop John M. D'Arcy Stadium.

Mapessa put the Trojans ahead in the 10th minute with his first Crossroads League goal of the season, gathering the ball 40 yards out before keeping a defender on his hip and finishing with his left foot to the bottom right corner from 25 yards. The sophomore now has three goals in his debut season for the Purple & Gray.

Saint Francis answered in the 24th minute when Toya Oda converted off Ryusei Matsushita's service to level the match at 1-1. The Cougars grabbed the lead just before halftime as Unax Mendia found the net unassisted.

TU (7-5-2, 1-3-2 CL) pushed for an equalizer throughout the second half, generating dangerous opportunities in the final 20 minutes.

Carlos Sanabria hit the crossbar in the 73rd minute as the Trojans applied sustained pressure, but Saint Francis goalkeeper Kevin Wachiaya Onelius made a crucial save on Mapessa's late attempt to preserve the victory.

Connor Shaw made six saves for Taylor, which was outshot 12-6 on the night.

The Trojans dropped their first match to Saint Francis in six meetings between the two sides. Following the result, TU sits seventh in the Crossroad League standings and only one point ahead of Huntington. Meanwhile, the Cougars (6-8-1, 4-2-0 CL) logged their third consecutive victory in league play, where they are now tied for third in the CL table.

The Trojans travel to Mount Vernon Nazarene (5-6-3, 0-5-1 CL) on Saturday before returning home on Saturday, Oct. 25, to face Huntington (3-7-4, 1-4-1 CL).