No. 1 and No. 2 Advance out of Men's Soccer Semifinals
LIVONIA, Mich. - (TOURNAMENT PAGE) - The top two teams in the 2022 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Men's Soccer Tournament narrowly escaped the semifinals on Wednesday afternoon. Top-seeded Madonna needed PKs against No. 4-seeed Aquinas as the two teams played to a 0-0 tie before MU advanced 4-2 on PKs. Second-seeded Indiana Tech needed extra time to eliminate No. 3-seeded UNOH 3-2. A new ruling this year requires teams to play both overtime periods despite the score after the first period.
Tech now travels to Madonna on Saturday, Nov. 12 for the championship match at 2 p.m. Both teams have secured their spots in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round. Regular-season champion Madonna receives first automatic berth and Indiana Tech receives the second as either the tournament champion or the tournament runner-up.
Semifinals - Wednesday, Nov. 9
#1 Madonna (15-0-4) advances over #4 Aquinas (10-7-3), 0-0 (4-2 PK)
In a battle to the very end, neither team found the net in the first half. Jordy Lopez, Madonna's leading goal scorer this season with 10 goals, registered two shots on target in the first half. Andres Gomez Rubiano had another, but AQ senior goalkeeper Antonio Strassioto was up to the challenge on all three shots to keep the game scoreless going into halftime. Joshua Clemitson had Aquinas' first shot on goal in the 19th minute, but AQ's best chance to score in the first half came off a free kick in the 26th minute. Theo Maye had a good look, but Crusader keeper Youssou Ouendeno made a diving save near the left post.
Madonna had a pair of Madonna free kick attempts just outside the 18-yard box in the opening minutes of the second half, but a red card in the 78th minute put the Crusaders a man down for the remainder of the match. Aquinas controlled possession the rest of the half, but wasn't able to score. Two extra periods didn't change the score, forcing a shootout.
Andrea Ghiggini scored for AQ in the first round as did MU's Leonardo Abonizio. The Saints missed the next two PKs over the crossbar while Ren Suzuki and Ramon Rocha each scored their penalties to put Madonna up 3-1. Clemitson made his to pull AQ to within one before Lopez slotted in the game-winner.
Stat Leaders
Goals: none
Assists: none
Saves: Ouendeno 6 (MU); Strassioto 3 (AQ)
#2 Indiana Tech (12-2-5) def. #3 UNOH (14-2-4), 3-2 (2 OT)
Douglas Appiah put Indiana Tech on the board first with a goal off a shuttle from Lucca Motta in the 18th minute for the only score of the half despite UNOH going on the offensive with seven shots. Five saves from Tech' goalie Juame Salvado kept the Racers out of the net in the first half.
Simon Von Benzon evened the score in the 58th minute with an unassisted goal and the Racers continued to push, outshooting Tech 8-3. Danilo Abayo made a crucial save for UNOH in the 83red minute to force the overtime.
Brendan Sidaway and Douglas Appiah set up Ryan Steele to put IT ahead 2-1 at the 102 mark and Steele then assisted on a Brendan Sidaway goal a couple of minutes later for a 3-1 Warrior lead. UNOH answered when Cameron Power sent one to Gonzalo La Chica to pull the Racers to within one, but IT's defensive held for the win.
Stat Leaders
Goals: Motta, Steele, Sidaway 1 (IT); Von Benzon, La Chica 1 (UNOH)
Assists: Appiah, Sidaway, MOtta 1 (IT); Power 1 (UNOH)
Saves: Salvado 8 (IT); Abayo 4 (UNOH)