Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Freshman Chris Plantz (Larkin HS, Elgin, Ill.) scored in the eighth minute of overtime Saturday to give Augustana a 2-1 Senior Day victory over Millikin at Thorson-Lucken Field. The Vikings improved to 2-10-2 on the year and 1-5 in the CCIW, while the Big Blue fell to 4-10-1 overall and 1-5 in the league.
 
Coach Mick Regan's club shook off the disappointment of a game-tying Millikin goal in the 82nd minute to claim the win in overtime. Plantz tallied his first career goal off an assist from Grant Bracken (Geneva HS, Geneva, Ill.)—one of four Augustana seniors honored before the match.
 
The hosts took a 1-0 lead two minutes before halftime when sophomore Matthew Allen (Batavia HS, Batavia, Ill.) scored his team-leading third goal of the year. Both junior Shonari Phillips (Tindley HS, Indianapolis, Ind.) and Bracken were awarded assists on the play. The Vikings took that advantage to intermission.
 
The Augustana defense, led by Bracken, fellow senior Victor Velazquez (Larkin HS, Elgin, Ill.), junior Jack McKearnan (Warren HS, Gurnee, Ill.), sophomore Tyler Duggan (Broomfield HS, Broomfield, Ill.) and freshman Sander Soerhaug (Vardafjell VGS, Haugesund, Norway) blocked four Big Blue shots in the first half. Sophomore goalkeeper Jeremy Klaber (Stevenson HS, Buffalo Grove, Ill.) recorded a pair of saves as well.
 
Millikin kept the pressure on in the second half, but it wasn't until the 82nd minute and the Big Blue's 18th shot of the match that the score was leveled. Chris Clay used a Rudy Mathieson assist to tally his first goal of the season and make it 1-1. Klaber made the save on a Mathieson attempt in the 88th minute to ensure overtime.
 
In the extra session, Clay's header was wide in the 92nd minute and the Viking defense blocked its seventh shot of the match in minute 95 to set the stage for Plantz's game winner three minutes later.
 
The visitors finished with 22 shot attempts, but put only five on frame. Augustana put three of its seven shots on goal. Corners were even at five apiece. Klaber finished with four saves and Millikin's Trevor Creek stopped one shot.
 
In addition to Bracken and Velazquez, the Vikings honored seniors J.P. Martinez (Moline HS, Coal Valley, Ill.) and Aaron Jones (Woodstock North HS, Wonder Lake, Ill.) before the match.
 
Regan's bunch travels to Bloomington, Illinois on Wednesday, October 25 to take on Illinois Wesleyan in a 7:00 p.m. match.