Nathan Gray and Ulisses Mateos showcased their two-man connection on offense during the first half of Crystal Lake Central’s nonconference soccer match against Harvard on Saturday moring in Crystal Lake.

The two attacking players worked together on a pair of goals early in the match, with Gray cashing in a cross from Mateos during the fifth minute before Gray rolled a through ball to Mateos for another goal in the 16th minute.

Those strikes were all the Tigers needed, as Crystal Lake Central held off a steady Harvard attack to beat the Hornets 2-0 and remain undefeated over five matches. The Tigers (3-0-2) posted nine shots on goal, while Harvard (3-5) finished with seven.

“Our offense works well and we have a great connection,” Gray said. “We make quick passes, we all think alike and we all know how to move off the ball. Since last season, our coaches have pointed out that Ulisses and I have a great connection. We move off the ball and we fill each other’s spaces. For each of us to get a goal and an assist is a great feeling.”

Crystal Lake Central dominated possession throughout the start of the first half, winning balls near midfield and switching the field to apply pressure on the Hornets defense. Trailing 2-0, Harvard’s first great chance to score came in the 24th minute, but a leaping save from goalkeeper Chase Lemke off a free kick kept the Hornets off the board. Lemke recorded five first-half saves for the Tigers, who have shut out all but one of the opponents they’ve faced so far this season.

“Our biggest thing today was the communication,” Crystal Lake Central defender Justin Moore said. “We didn’t give up on each other, even when we were defending for long periods of time. We all moved as a unit and our biggest keys defensively have been working as a team. We aren’t a team that has one player do it all. We’ve bonded and we all move the same way. The chemistry we’ve built has allowed us to gel and move well together.”

A near breakaway in the 38th minute provided another quality chance for the Hornets, but a shot on goal zoomed just wide right of the Crystal Lake Central net. Bryan Gorostieta and Edgar Robles-Monge applied pressure for the Harvard offense throughout the match, with both players posting two shots on goal. Luis Pichardo, Jonathan Ramirez and Jonathan Roldan each added shots on goal for the Hornets, who were unable to capitalize on six corner kicks and six shots on goal during the opening half.

“They played a formation that we haven’t seen yet this season, so we needed to get our communication down so we could shift and move and be ready to cover for each other,” Moore said. “We believed in ourselves and we just have to trust the process and do what we do. We’re a family and we work for the guy next to us.”

Ian Gumecindo entered in the second half and notched a trio of saves for the Tigers, who overcame two yellow cards down the stretch to preserve their shutout win. A physical challenge on a ball in the 68th minute led to yellow cards for Roldan and Crystal Lake Central defender Roman Vences, while a foul on a tackle by defender Angel Perez in the 77th minute resulted in another yellow card against the Tigers.

But as was the theme throughout the match, Harvard couldn’t convert on its offensive opportunities. The Hornets, who ended the match with eight corners, saw their three-game winning streak snapped on Saturday. Goalkeeper Osvaldo Nova snatched seven saves in net for the Hornets, who opened the season 0-4 before rallying off three consecutive victories.