ST. LOUIS — Talk about opening the season with a bang.
Allen Community College’s Red Devil soccer teams each played a pair of tough competitors. Both the Red Devil men and women started things Friday on the road at nationally ranked St. Louis Community College.
The Red Devil men fell in a hard-fought match, 3-2, while the Allen women dropped a 4-0 setback.
On Sunday, the teams traveled across the Mississippi River to Belleville, Ill., an East St. Louis suburb, where Allen’s men brought home a dramatic 3-2 win against NJCAA-Division I squad Southwestern Illinois College. The Red Devil women weren’t as fortunate, succumbing 6-2, to open the season with an 0-2 mark.
Both squads are home Wednesday to host State Fair Community College of Sedalia, Mo.. The women start at 2 p.m.; the men at about 4 o’clock.
THE RED DEVIL men started Sunday with a blistering pace, scoring twice in the first 15 minutes.
Javaine Lindsay shot a rocket past the Southwestern goalkeeper on an assist from Calum Murphy. Gilbert Idres was next about 5 minutes later from the top of the box, off a Javaine Lindsay assist.
The Storm scored a goal in the 23rd minute.
Allen controlled the action early in the second half. Elivs Simiyu scored off an assist from Jose Haboud to make it 3-1.
The Red Devils connected again to extend the lead.
A scramble deep in Allen territory in the 83rd minute turned into trouble when the Storm took possession and scored, making it a one-goal difference once again.
But Allen was able to keep things in line from there for the 3-2 win.
Friday’s action, against No. 7-ranked St. Louis, was a hotly contested back-and forth affair.
The Archers scored in the 20th minute before Allen’s Aquil Lawlite fed Josiah Bobb for the equalizer eight minutes later. It was in the 33rd minute when Lindsay fed Simiyu for a goal to push ACC ahead, 2-1.
But Allen couldn’t capitalize early in the second half on multiple scoring chances.
