USI-Quincy need PKs to decide 2-2 OT draw
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the first time in the history of University of Southern Indiana Men's Soccer, the fourth-seeded Screaming Eagles are advancing in the NCAA Division II Tournament after winning a penalty kick shootout with fifth-seeded Quincy University in the first round of the NCAA II Midwest Regional Friday night in Kansas City, Missouri. USI watches its record go to 13-3-4, while Quincy finishes its season 12-5-3.
The Eagles advance to play top-seeded and sixth-ranked Rockhurst University (16-2-2) Sunday at 1 p.m. in Kansas City. USI dropped the regular season meeting with Rockhurst in overtime, 2-1, at Strassweg Field in October and trails in the all-time series, 17-1-3.
After the Eagles and the Hawks battled to a 2-2, double-overtime draw, USI won the right to advance by prevailing in the penalty kick shootout, 3-1. USI junior goalkeeper
Adam Zehme (Orland Park, Illinois), who had three saves in the 110 minutes of regulation and overtime, came up big for the Eagles, saving three of Quincy's four penalty kick attempts.
USI converted three of their four shootout attempts with junior midfielder
Riley Belding (Columbus, Indiana), freshman midfielder
Sean Rickey (Columbia, Illinois), and junior midfielder
Cesar Alba (Hanover Park, Illinois) making their shots.
It was USI, who struck first in regulation with a goal just 6:35 into match. Belding scored the Eagles' first-ever NCAA II Tournament goal off a pass from freshman defender
Drew Albert (Eureka, Missouri). The goal was Belding's second of the season.
In the second half, Quincy rallied with two goals to take a 2-1 lead. The Hawks tied the match, 1-1, at 50:58 and took the lead, 2-1, on a penalty kick at 80:38. The Eagles would rally to knot the game up at 2-2 when junior forward
Pedro Castro (Brazil) slipped a shot through the defense at 81:04. Castro was assisted on his second goal of the year by Alba and senior defender
Michael Sass (New Palestine, Indiana).
The Eagles and the Hawks would end the regulation knotted at 2-2 and would battle through scoreless overtime periods to end the match in a tie, sending the match to penalty kicks to decide who would advance.
