Covenant Men's Soccer takes the NCCAA Mid-East Regional Championship title against No. 1 Campbellsville this afternoon in Oakland City, Indiana. This weekend, the Scots traveled to compete for the chance to play in the NCCAA National Tournament that will be held the week after Thanksgiving.
In order to make it to the national tournament, two teams stood in the Scots' way. Yesterday, November 18, Covenant Men's Soccer took on the host team, the Oakland City Mighty Oaks, for the semifinal match. After a thrilling second half that resulted in overtime play, where the Scots sealed the deal with a 3-1 win, Covenant was set to play first-ranked Campbellsville.
For the final contest hosted in Indiana, the Scots and the Tigers were set to face off at 1:00 PM in order to decide a Mid-East Regional Champion for the NCCAA. Campbellsville earned their spot in the regional championship after defeating Asbury in a penalty kick shoot-out.
While the first half of the contest remained scoreless, it was not shy of action. There were 10 total shots, 10 fouls, and five saves all within the first 45 minutes of play. However, it was not until under the 25-minute mark in the second half that there was a goal on the board.
It was the Scots who secured the goal and took the advantage of the match. Near the midfield line, both teams battled for control of the ball. Ultimately, it was Parker Rody who came away with the possession, quickly passing the ball out to forward Kade Theunissen.
After faking a pass, Theunissen dribbled straight past the defender, making a run towards the goal. Luke Laughlin sprinted alongside Theunissen, creating space for Theunissen to find Laughlin near the left-side of the penalty area. Immediately crossing to the other side of the box through four defenders, freshman Whitt Tisdale was left with an open path.
Capitalizing on the scoring opportunity, Tisdale drove a shot straight into the far right-side of the net. The goalkeeper, still set on Laughlin's position, was to the left-side of the goal when Tisdale laced in his shot. Not able to make a saving attempt, the Scots came away with the lead in the 67th minute of regulation.
With the Scots now up 1-0, the Tigers would have to come up with a goal to answer in order to stay alive. Though the rest of the shots taken in the game were all attempted by the Tigers, Covenant Goalkeeper Eli Honeycutt stood his ground and continued to protect the net. Making his fifth and final save of the night on Campbellsville's second to final attack, Honeycutt helped pave the way for his team to finalize the 1-0 win.
What a night it was for the Scots, as they walked away from their weekend with two wins and another title on the season. Covenant Men's Soccer earned their way into the NCCAA National Tournament after becoming the Mid-East Regional Champions. The Scots will be headed to Kissimmee, Florida after the upcoming holiday, opponent yet to be decided.
Original source can be found here.
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