The men’s soccer team has started off the season with a 3-0 start, behind two consecutive hat tricks from sophomore midfielder Pumi Maphumulo.

The Eagles play their home games at La Salle’s Rotary Park. Upcoming home contests are at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4 against Milwaukee Technical College and at 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 6 against Ancilla College.

Aug. 29 vs. Black Hawk East
The Eagles recorded a 7-1 victory at home vs. Black Hawk East, with four goals hitting the back of the net in the first half alone.

Maphumulo, the sophomore midfielder from South Africa, scored a hat trick for this second consecutive game with goals at the 19, 24 and 44-minute marks. He narrowly missed a four-goal game when he took a penalty shot from just outside the top of the box in the first half after a yellow card had been handed to a Black Hawk player for a foul against Andre Mendes. The ball sailed just inches above the top of the net.

Sophomore Bayron Cruz scored two goals in the contest, with Bryan Fuentes and Mendes also scoring in the game.

Anthony Hernandez had four saves.

Aug. 26 vs. Scott CC
Sophomores Maphumulo and Cruz led the Illinois Valley men’s soccer team to victory; a 7-1 win over Scott Community College at Rotary Park.

Maphumulo started early converting a pass from Marc Philavanh in the 15th minute for a 1-0 lead, on his way to a big day with three goals and two assists. Philavanh had three assists on the day.

Cruz also had two goals in the 42nd and 55th minutes to put the Eagles in solid control at 5-0. Fuentes and Francisco Periera both tallied their first goals of the season.

Keeper Hernandez had one save in goal.

Aug. 24 vs. Elgin
The season opener brought a 4-2 win over Elgin Community College at Rotary Park in La Salle.

After falling behind early on a defensive error, sophomore Cruz knotted the score at 1-1 with an unassisted rebound goal in the 19th minute.

Shortly before intermission the Eagles would take the lead. Mendes assisted Maphumulo on a give-and-go in the 42nd minute.

The lead would be short lived as Elgin would tie the score in the opening minutes of the second half.

But as the game wore on, the Eagles slowly started to gain a majority of possession time to create more offensive chances in the second half.

The result was Cruz and Maphumulo each scoring once more and assisting on the other’s goal to notch a 4-2 victory.

Keeper Hernandez had three saves in goal.