Issue date: 10/16/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Pete Ridens Sophomores Randy Roy, in air, and Mike Jones attempt to clear the ball during Sunday's game against Quincy.

Friday night played host to only one soccer game as the SIUE Men's Soccer faced Truman State. The women's team had an off day, leaving the lone action on the field the men's contest against the Bulldogs.

With senior goalkeeper Greg Crook gaining his fourth shutout, the No. 15 ranked Cougars defeated Truman state 1-0.

"The key successes were playing out game with possession," junior Dustin Attarian said. "We also created chances to score and scored during those."

The only goal of the contest came from a Cougar foot. Attarian, who was battling injury during the week, scored 21 minutes into the contest. The goal was Attarian's team-leading ninth score of the season.

Though he leads the team in individual goal, Attarian said teamwork is the way to gain victories.

"We just try to play the same every game and stay consistent," Attarian said. "(We need to) play with possession, defend well and score goals."

On Sunday, the Cougars continued their stifling defense as they defeated Quincy University 3-0.

Head coach Ed Huneke noticed the defensive successes that his team has been having.

"Teams can't seem to penetrate on us," Huneke said.

The shutout victory for the Cougars was their fourth shutout in the last five contests. Crook again stopped the only shot he faced and recorded his fifth shutout of the year.

With the victory, SIUE remains as the sole holder of the second place spot in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The leader is undefeated Northern Kentucky University.

The Cougars first jumped on the leader board as Attarian scored his tenth goal of the season off of a Cougar corner kick.

Sophomore Kevin Bielicki scored the second goal as he sent a shot past the Quincy goaltender from 20-yards out. Sophomore Tim Weir assisted on the play.

Senior Bob Ridder scored the final goal for the Cougars on an odd man rush towards the goalkeeper. Junior Matt Harris fed the bed to Ridder who buried the ball into the net for the third and final goal for the Cougars.

With the final two games in the season approaching SIUE will head to Indiana to face Saint Joseph's and University of Indianapolis.

"The remainder of the season will still be tough," sophomore Randy Roy said. "We know that each game we have a target on our backs and every team wants to take us down."

Huneke remembers as a player, his coach lived by a motto that he will now pass down to his players.

"When I played for coach Guelker, he used to emphasize peaking at the end of the season," Huneke said. "I want to keep our momentum high for the playoffs."

The Cougars will open their road trip at 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 19, in Rensselaer, Ind.

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