Topeka, Kan. – Playing against Friends University in the semifinals of the KCAC Men's Soccer Postseason Tournament at the Hummer Sports Complex, the Bulldogs found themselves losing another gut-wrenching 1-0 match to the Falcons. The defeat ends McPherson's season at 11-9.
On a blustery day in Topeka, the Bulldogs played against the wind for the first half, having to keep the ball on the ground to make any movement up the field. Mac had a few corners that nearly produced points but never made it in. On the other side, Friends used the wind to their advantage as they flighted the ball downfield several times. The Falcons broke the scoring silence in the 23rd minute, taking advantage of a wacky bounce that landed at the foot of their leading goal scorer. MC had a few more decent chances in the final 20 minutes of the half but none were fruitful and they headed into the locker room down 1-0.
In the second half, McPherson knew they needed the equalizer and pushed forward nearly the entire 45 minutes. The team had a quick opportunity in the first few minutes but it went wide. A couple of really good looks for the Bulldogs were negated on offside calls. In the closing minutes, the Falcons earned a couple of chances off of counters but Mac goalie Sam Nobo thwarted those opportunities, keeping MC alive. As the clock winded down, the 'Dogs had two of their best looks of the match but a pair of wide shots kept the score at 1-0 which is where the match ended.
McPherson logged 15 total shots with four on target. Kevin Ndongo led the team in attempts with his five, one went on frame. Both Freshman of the Year Christopher Kelly and KCAC Second Team Member Nick Torres took three shots and saw one go on goal.
Honorable Mention all-conference player Parrott ended the match with five saves and the one goal allowed.
The 'Dogs are now done for the year. The team returns most of their roster but will need to replace some valuable players in their seniors for the 2016 season.
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McPherson College is a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member school and a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
