Trailblazers Top Rival SWIC 1–0 Behind Late Goal, Defensive Stand

GODFREY, Ill.  — Lewis and Clark Community College women's soccer earned bragging rights Tuesday with a 1–0 victory over rival Southwestern Illinois College, securing the win with a late goal in a tense matchup.

For head coach Justin Bernaix, the game was about sticking to a mindset the team has carried all season.

"As a team, we have been emphasizing the need to stay on the front foot in games," Bernaix said. "We want to have more of the ball, create more of the scoring chances, and aggressively defend our goal. Who we play doesn't change this mentality, but displaying it against a strong opponent was good to see."

The Trailblazers created several chances throughout the game but couldn't find the net until the final minutes, when their persistence paid off.

"SWIC is tough to break down, and while we felt we should have done better with a few of our chances, it took a late goal to get the result," Bernaix said. "I credit the players for not settling for a draw and showing determination to find a breakthrough."

The defensive effort was equally important, as Lewis and Clark held the Blue Storm to few scoring opportunities on the way to a clean sheet.

"Our collective defensive effort was great… not just our backs and midfielders,  all our players showed a relentless drive to win the ball back and prevent scoring chances," Bernaix said. "The clean sheet is nice, but the fact that we didn't allow many shots at all goes back to our mentality of wanting to have more of the ball than our opponent."

The win adds momentum for Lewis and Clark as the team heads deeper into October and region play, though Bernaix said the focus remains on consistency.

"We are in a good rhythm right now. However, we are still just taking one match at a time," he said.

Looking ahead, Bernaix said the key will be keeping the same edge that carried his team past its rival.

"Avoid complacency and approach every match the same, no matter the opponent," he said. "We are focused on controlling our play and our mentality."

Written by Alexandra Dunn, Athletics Social Media Coordinator