The College of DuPage men’s soccer team stunned Waubonsee Community College after completing a 4-4 comeback despite being down 0-3 going into the second half. After finding their offensive rhythm in the second half, freshman Archie Murphy’s three-goal hat trick and sophomore Robert Keldani’s long-range goal allowed the Chaps to find their way back into the game.

“[At halftime], I gave them an epic lecture,” said men’s head soccer coach Zac Ludwig. “We talked about not focusing on the result but focusing on the process of doing all the little things right consistently. We dug ourselves a hole. At the end of the game, I said [to the team] it was a good job coming back, but let’s not dig a hole in the first place, so we can be able to come out with a win.”

The first half of the match for the Chaps consisted of a lack of scoring chances in the Chiefs’ final third of the field and the absence of an attacking presence. At the 52-minute mark, Murphy managed to put the ball in the back of the net after finding the ball off a corner kick attempt to break the Chiefs’ three unanswered goals streak.

Murphy finished the game with three goals after scoring two more goals from penalty conversions. The penalty shot opportunities were given after freshman Jacob Sarabia was fouled in the box after fighting for possession, and the Chiefs’ goalkeeper committed a foul against Murphy late in the match.

“I missed an important penalty in-season, so it was important for me to take them in the spring season to try to make it up,” said Murphy. “We did well the first 10 minutes, so I think we got a bit too comfortable. The boys showed good character coming back in the second half and showed we got something about us to come back.”

Keldani scored the Chaps’ second goal of the match after scoring from an impressive outside-of-the-box shot attempt to help close the gap against the Chiefs. Keldani was pleased by his teammates’ efforts to come back from a large deficit but was not satisfied with the draw result.

“We came in the game playing slow and a couple of guys were half asleep,” he said. “We came in the second half with high energy. As a leader of the team, if you keep going at it, then your teammates will start picking that energy off you and start going harder too. We had a couple of guys score some goals and everyone else ate off that energy.”

COD midfielder Alexin Hernandez controlled the midfield during COD’s efforts to complete a comeback against the Chiefs. Hernandez made his presence felt in the second half after winning 50/50 balls for possession and setting up dangerous opportunities in front of Waubonsee’s goal.

“After [Waubonsee’s] first goal, we let our heads down and started letting them control the game,” said Hernandez. “In the second half, we started pressing and controlling the game. As a captain and a midfielder, you have to help the team by making sure everyone’s on the same page. After being 3-0 down, I had to let everyone know that it’s up to us and to slow [the ball] down.”

The Chaparrals will go against Prairie State College at 3 p.m. on April 23 in Chicago Heights, Ill.