The No. 12 ranked Saginaw Valley State University men's soccer team defeated Northeastern State University 1-0 today(Nov. 18) to advance to the NCAA DII Men's Soccer Final Four for the first time in school history
TAHLEQUAH, OKLA. -- The No. 12 ranked Saginaw Valley State men's soccer team defeated Northeastern State University 1-0 today(Nov. 18) to advance to the NCAA DII Men's Soccer Final Four for the first time in school history.
The Cardinals and Riverhawks entered the half tied 0-0 after the first 45:00 minutes of play. SVSU's only scoring opportunity came in the fourth minute when midfielder Robert Short (Goodrich, Mich.) let loose a shot that was gathered up by goalkeeper Eric Shephard.
The second half of play would go much like the first half, with neither team being able to notch the go-ahead goal, forcing the game into overtime.
The Cardinals and Riverhawks remained scoreless through the first overtime, forcing the game into a second overtime period. Saginaw Valley finally struck in the 109th minute when Zach Meyers (Grand Rapids, Mich. / Forest Hills Eastern HS) pounded the ball home from 10 out after junior Zach Walega (Saline, Mich. / Saline HS) made a hard run up the right side, allowing him to find Myers in the box for the shot.
Senior goalkeeper Jason Wise (Troy, Mich.) played big all afternoon for the Cardinals, stopping all 10 Riverhawk shots he faced on the afternoon.
Saginaw Valley advances to the NCAA Final Four for the first time in school history and will play Simon Fraser on Thursday (Nov. 29). The NCAA Championships will be played in Evans, Ga. on Nov. 29 and Dec. 1. Visit NCAA.com for more information on game times and tickets.
