St Louis, MO: The Rock Valley College men's soccer team picked up a pair of victories over the weekend in St. Louis, earning a 2-1 win over Parkland College on Friday before defeating Allen County Community College, 5-3, on Sunday.
The two victories give the Golden Eagles consecutive wins as they continue to build momentum early in the 2026 season.
Rock Valley opened the weekend Friday against Parkland College, earning a 2-1 victory over the Panthers.
After a scoreless first half, the Golden Eagles broke through in the 78th minute when Reese Schlichting found the back of the net off an assist from Diego Flores. Flores then added a goal of his own in the 85th minute to give Rock Valley a 2-0 advantage.
Parkland answered with a goal in the 87th minute, but the Golden Eagles held off the Panthers over the final minutes to secure the victory.
Rock Valley controlled the attacking opportunities throughout the match, finishing with a 15-13 advantage in shots and putting 11 attempts on goal. Flores finished with a goal and an assist, while Schlichting added the other Golden Eagles goal. Julian Vela played all 90 minutes in goal and recorded three saves.
The victory was Rock Valley's first of the season and came against a Parkland squad that entered the season ranked No. 17 in the preseason NJCAA Division II rankings.
The Golden Eagles returned to action Sunday against Allen County Community College and continued their offensive momentum, scoring five goals in the first half on the way to a 5-3 victory.
Rock Valley received goals from five different players in the contest, as Irving Dorman, Alan Perez, Brady Moore, Simone Badassa and Samuel Rivas each found the back of the net.
Moore's goal was assisted by Jesus Mandujano as the Golden Eagles established a commanding 5-1 halftime lead. Allen County added two goals in the second half, but Rock Valley's early offensive production proved to be the difference.
The Golden Eagles finished with another 15-shot performance, while Vela made three saves in his second consecutive complete game in goal.
The weekend sweep was an important step forward for a Rock Valley team continuing to develop its identity under head coach Eddie Garza. After making adjustments following opening weekend, the Golden Eagles showed improvement in both possession and attacking execution throughout the two matches.
"The guys made some important adjustments this week, and I thought we saw that translate onto the field this weekend," Garza said. "We are starting to put together the type of performance we want to see. There is still a lot of work ahead of us, but getting two wins on the road gives us something to build on."
Rock Valley returns home looking to carry the momentum from its two-game winning streak into its upcoming schedule.
