DENVER, Colo. — Holy Family broke through late in the second half to defeat St. Thomas Aquinas 1-0 on Wednesday, snapping a winless stretch with a crucial regional victory. Ned Lewis scored the decisive goal in the 65th minute, assisted by Dimitri Lekishvili, as the home side weathered sustained pressure from the visiting Spartans.
The match remained scoreless through 65 minutes despite St. Thomas Aquinas dominating possession and creating numerous scoring opportunities. The Spartans generated 12 shot attempts and seven shots on goal, forcing Holy Family goalkeeper Bruno Mestres into seven saves. St. Thomas Aquinas also earned 10 corner kicks but could not convert their territorial advantage into goals.
Lewis capitalized on Holy Family's opportunity in the 65th minute when Lekishvili found him with a precise pass, breaking the deadlock and giving the hosts their first lead of the match. The goal proved sufficient as Holy Family's defense held firm despite continued pressure from the visiting offense.
Bruno Mestres was instrumental in preserving the victory, making critical saves on shots from Jorge De La Vibora (28:05, 29:02, 47:00, 68:29), Kevon Evans (46:55), and Francisco Degiorgi (52:48). His seven-save performance limited St. Thomas Aquinas' ability to equalize despite their offensive dominance.
St. Thomas Aquinas pressed aggressively throughout, particularly in the second half. The Spartans earned additional corner kicks at 46:11, 48:50, 70:51