Governors State men’s soccer ran into two well-organized opponents to open September, falling 2–0 to Cumberlands (Ky.) on Sept. 1 and 5–1 at Marian (Ind.) on Sept. 6. Despite the results, the Jaguars found bright spots, including steady goalkeeping and a hard-earned score from forward Pedro Mendez.
Cumberlands 2, Governors State 0
Cumberlands wasted little time setting the tone, striking twice within a two-minute window midway through the first half. Hugo Champalloux put away the opener in the 16th minute, and forward Samuel Dolobaipu added another at 18:16, finishing a pass from Patrick Ostergreen.
The Patriots’ defense closed down the box quickly, holding the Jaguars to just one shot on goal across 10 attempts. Goalkeeper Mark Habetler was kept busy on the other end, making six saves to keep the scoreline from growing.
Governors State pressed late and earned seven corner kicks overall, but couldn’t break through Cumberlands’ back line.
Marian 5, Governors State 1
Five days later, the Jaguars found themselves in another defensive battle against Marian, who entered the contest 5–1. The Knights’ attack produced 32 shots, 16 of them on frame, but GovState keeper Matias Gallego kept the game close with nine saves before subbing out late.
The floodgates opened in the second half, though, when Marian’s Samuel Wehaus netted twice in six minutes. The Jaguars answered almost immediately, just 14 seconds after the Knights’ second goal, Pedro Mendez buried an unassisted strike to cut the deficit to 2–1.
Momentum shifted back to Marian as Wehaus completed his hat trick, followed by goals from Matthew Loo and Gustavo Nunes to seal the 5–1 final.
Gallego and Habetler combined for 10 saves, while midfielder Lexani Gaines and forward Abraham Jaimes each put pressure on Marian’s defense with shots on target.
The Jaguars now turn their attention to their next matchup, a neutral-site contest against Briar Cliff (Iowa) on Wednesday, Sept. 10, at the Crown Point Sportsplex. With the season still young, Governors State will be aiming to regroup, sharpen its attack, and build momentum as they look to translate their early lessons into results.