Men's Soccer | 11/8/2011 9:36:00 AM
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McPherson, Kan. – After advancing on penalty kicks in the quarterfinals, the McPherson College men’s soccer team travels to Salina, Kan. to take on No. 1 seeded Kansas Wesleyan University in the semifinal round of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Championships on Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. (CT). Live video of the match between the Bulldogs and Coyotes can be accessed at KCACsports.com.
The Bulldogs (11-6-1, 6-3-0 KCAC) escaped elimination with a come from behind draw, 1-1, against No. 5 seeded Tabor College on Saturday. McPherson ended up advancing with a 5-3 win in penalty kicks following the two overtimes. The Blue Jays struck first in the 65
th minute, but failed to hold off the Bulldogs as freshman
Oscar Cortez (Dallas, Texas) notched his third goal of the season in the 78
th off an assist from junior
Juan Garcia (Reno, Nev.). The two sides battled hard through the two overtime periods with neither side willing to give.
Kansas Wesleyan (15-3-0, 9-0-0 KCAC), who received a bye through the first round as the No. 1 seed, enters the match riding an 11 game win streak. During the streak, the Coyotes have outscored their opponents, 48-5, including a 10-0 shutout against Southwestern on Oct. 23.
In their last meeting, the Bulldogs dropped a heartbreaker, 2-1, against the Coyotes. McPherson trailed for a majority of the match before Garcia scored his team-leading 12
th goal in the 87
th minute to tie the score 1-1. However, the Coyotes scored the game winner on a set piece from just outside the penalty area with 55 seconds remaining in the match.
The winner between McPherson and Kansas Wesleyan advances to the championship round of the tournament to play either Friends University or Ottawa University. Kickoff for the title match is scheduled for 1 p.m. (CT) at Anderson Stadium in Lindsborg, Kan.
Scouting Kansas Wesleyan
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The Coyotes ended the regular season with an 11-match win streak, including a 9-0-0 mark in conference play.
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Kansas Wesleyan head coach Mike Dibbini earned 2011 KCAC Coach of the Year
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Eight Coyotes earned spots on the All-KCAC teams, including five representatives on the first team. Additionally, Alex Chavez and Edgar Toco were named offensive and defensive players of the year. It is the second consecutive player of the year honor for Chavez.
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For the second season in a row, Chavez led the team and the conference in scoring with 13 goals and 33 points. In addition, he and teammate Eduardo Barba ranked second in the KCAC with seven total assists.
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Kansas Wesleyan ranks atop the conference in all statistical categories except for saves.
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Goalkeeper Alex Montiel has played a majority of the minutes in goal this season, owning a 1.05 goals against average and .609 save percentage. He is 14-3-0 on the season, including six shutouts.
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KWU has outscored their opponents, 68-18, on the year.
