ABILENE, Texas --
Nahum Serrano scored the match-tying goal in the second half and then had the clinching conversion in the shootout as the No. 6 seed LeTourneau men's soccer team advanced to the ASC Tournament semifinals following a 1-1 draw and 4-3 win in the shootout at No. 3 seed Hardin-Simmons on Tuesday night.
LeTourneau (7-6-5) advances to the ASC semifinals for the first time since 1998. The YellowJackets will travel to Austin on Thursday to take on No. 2 seed (and host) Concordia at 2 p.m. on the campus of St. Edward's University.
The YellowJackets also extended an unbeaten streak to four.
Down 1-0 in the second half, Serrano evened the score in the 54th minute. LeTourneau earned a penalty kick chance and Serrano stepped in to take it. His attempt was saved by Hardin-Simmons keeper Ekena Odiaka, but the live ball ricocheted back to Serrano who cleaned up the second chance from short range.
The goal was Serrano's third of the year.
Both teams peppered the defenses with scoring chances. LeTourneau had a season-high 28 shots and 14 shots on goal. Hardin-Simmons held a 29-28 advantage in total shots.
Despite the opportunities, neither team broke through again in the second half or through the two overtime sessions.
Hardin-Simmons had one last good look late in the second overtime as Jakob Fiol got loose inside the box, but LeTourneau keeper
Raul Torrez made the save, his career-high 11th of the night, to preserve the draw.
In the shootout, Fiol opened with a miss wide right. That opened the door for the YellowJackets to take an early lead and
Russell Gray did just that as he slotted his shot past Odiaka. Hardin-Simmons tied it back up as Torrez's attempt in the second round was saved by Odiaka.
The teams traded conversions over the next two rounds before Torrez came up with another clutch save, this time on the chance from Jaden Barnwell in the fourth round.
Jared Woodruff got the YellowJackets closer with his good attempt and Serrano finished it in the final round.
Gray and
Keaton Johnson had five shots apiece for LeTourneau, while Fiol had 11 for Hardin-Simmons (6-8-4).
Francisco Cerrillo had the host Cowboys' goal in the first half as he knocked in a long-range effort that bounced off the crossbar and into the net in the 30th minute.
UP NEXT
LeTourneau will take on No. 2 seed Concordia on Thursday at 2 p.m. in Austin. The match, along with the rest of the ASC Tournament, will take place on the campus of St. Edward's University in Austin.
