ROUND ROCK, Texas -- The LeTourneau men's soccer team found a way to win a dramatic battle against Concordia Texas in penalties and advance to the SCAC Championship match.
LeTourneau and Concordia were locked in a defensive showdown for 110 minutes, with neither side breaking through until the No. 3-seeded YellowJackets advanced 7-6 in a penalty shootout Friday night over the No. 2-seeded Tornados at the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex.
Concordia (11-5-2) held a slight advantage in the first half, winning the shot battle 10-5 while playing on the same field where it hosted its regular-season home matches.
The best chance of the first half for LeTourneau (11-6-2) came in the 11th minute when Bridge Mwambukiri found a loose ball on the right side of the box and fired a low shot toward goal, but Leonel Cuellar was there to make the save.
LeTourneau found more offensive success in the second half, outshooting Concordia 9-4.
Both squads had quality scoring opportunities in the second half, but neither team was able to break through as extra time loomed.
The two teams appeared evenly matched throughout regulation, each recording 14 shots.
The YellowJackets ramped up the offensive pressure in the first overtime period. In the 99th minute, Zach Parris settled a ball off a throw-in and nearly delivered the game-winner, but his shot glanced off the inside of the left post and stayed out.
The second overtime period mirrored much of the match, with neither team able to solve the opposing defense. A penalty kick shootout would decide who advanced to the championship game.
Edson Camara Martinez played a major role in helping the YellowJackets reach penalties, making three critical saves during his 110-minute shutout. However, prior to the shootout, head coach TJ Milby elected to make a change in goal, giving Carson Gamble the opportunity to help LeTourneau advance to the SCAC Championship game.
The shootout began with an attempt from Concordia's Enoch Morebise. Gamble guessed correctly but narrowly missed making the save. Mwambukiri then converted LeTourneau's first penalty.
The two teams traded successful penalties through the first 12 attempts. After the initial five-round shootout ended level, Jaron Wilkerson and Leandro Ferreira each converted pressure-packed kicks to keep the shootout tied in the sudden-death stage.
On Concordia's seventh attempt, however, Gamble dove to his right and stopped Irvin Martinez's penalty with his right knee.
The moment then belonged to sophomore defender Sammy Shmorgun. Facing Cuellar with a trip to the championship on the line, Shmorgun calmly approached from the left side and buried a right-footed shot into the bottom-left corner to send the YellowJackets to the SCAC Championship match in dramatic fashion.
Elias Arreguin, Kristian Princ, and Marcos Gonzalez also converted key penalty kicks to help the YellowJackets advance.
LeTourneau found a way to deliver another memorable SCAC Tournament moment, one year after defeating Concordia on a golden goal in the 100th minute to reach the semifinals.
Now, the YellowJackets advance to the SCAC Championship game with an opportunity to capture the first conference title of the program's NCAA era.
Cuellar played all 110 minutes for the Tornados, recording four saves and stopping six of the seven penalty attempts he
faced.
LeTourneau's fourth consecutive shutout marked the first time such a streak has been achieved since before the program's NCAA era.
UP NEXT
LeTourneau will play for the SCACÂ Championship against No. 1 seeded Colorado College on Sunday afternoon (2:00 p.m.).Â
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