November 20, 2023

Warriors Win OT Thriller, Advance to R16

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By Francisco Claudio
 
There is nothing like watching postseason competition go the distance into overtime or watching a goalkeeper stop a penalty kick at a crucial moment in the game.
 
Well, the Westcliff men's soccer team is checking many of these things off their list as they made their NAIA national debut and came out on top with a 3-1 victory.
 
Over the weekend, the Warriors played their second-round match of the NAIA Men's Soccer Championships against No. 11 Rio Grande after receiving a BYE in the first round.
 
The first half started slow as both teams were trying to establish themselves and feeling their opponent out.
 
Things escalated quickly when a foul by Westcliff inside the box led to the referee whistling for a penalty kick in the 30th minute.
 
Normally, penalty kicks are a given as there is very little time for a goalkeeper to react. But Westcliff's goalkeeper Noah Schwengeler read the shot correctly and his outstretched hands were able to block the kick going to the right corner. 
 
The game would continue 0-0.
 
The first half ended with Rio Grande leading in many of the categories like shots on goal and corner kicks.
 
But with the score even it was anybody's game as the teams took to the field for another 45 minutes.
 
You could see that Westcliff had made some adjustments as the team started to control the possession of the ball more which resulted in a couple of shots on goal.
 
Then in the 62nd minute, the Warriors broke the stalemate with a goal from Wissem Obeid after an assist from Quentin Hornung.
 
But Rio Grande quickly responded and caught the Warriors off guard as they tied it at 1-1, just three minutes later.
 
For the remainder of the second half, both teams battled fiercely, taking shots at each other. However, the goalkeepers and defensive back lines were up to the task, of keeping the score even.
 
The whistle blew signaling the completion of regular time as the teams would go into overtime to settle who would move on to the round of 16.
 
The audience would be treated to 20 more minutes of high-intensity level of soccer.
 
The first 10 minutes of overtime began and the Warriors seemed like the team that had a bit more energy.
 
Then in the 95th minute, they broke the stalemate again as Martin Slatsve who came off the bench found the back of the net with the assist from John Adekunle.
 
This was Slatsve's fifth goal of the season but easily the most important one of his collegiate career.
 
Up 2-1, the Warriors started to take control of the game with only the second 10 minutes of overtime left.
 
Both overtime periods had many fouls, and in the 108th minute, a Westcliff player was fouled in the penalty area resulting in another penalty kick.
 
None other than No. 22, Jordan Di Lonardo stepped up to execute the kick.
 
Ice in his veins, and not fazed by the moment.
 
Di Lonardo kicked the ball in the opposite direction of where the goalkeeper lunged putting the Warriors up 3-1.
 
'Game, set, and match.'
 
The team left standing was the Westcliff University Warriors who traveled from Irvine, California, and who will now get a chance to compete in the final site of the National Championships.
 
"The guys competed and dominated in overtime," said head coach Randy Dodge. "They had all the juice because they were committed to one another, they need to understand that."
 
Coach Dodge emphasized to his team how important it is to stay ready because you never know when your time to shine might be.
 
That day, it was Martin Slatsve who came off the bench and made an instant impact.
 
"It was going to be somebody who doesn't get a lot of playing time who was going to step in and Martin scored the game-winner," Dodge said. "But without our goalkeeping, without our backline, we're not in this game. We hung on and we did what we do well."
 
The Warriors have now won 12 games in a row going back to the regular season that led to the Cal Pac Championship win and now a second-round win at nationals.
 
This team is turning heads and they aren't planning to slow down just yet.
 
Westcliff has moved on to the final site which will be played in Wichita Kansas, from November 27th-December 4th.
 
Their opponent in the round of 16 will be No. 6 Bethel (Ind.) and that game will take place on November 28th at 7 PM CST.
 
After the win, Coach Dodge gathered his team and staff and asked them just one question.
 
"Why not go win this?"