Men's soccer falls in MAC Tournament Championship game to Akron
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The No. 4-ranked Western Michigan University men's soccer team fell to No. 7 Akron 3-1 in the 2017 Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship game Sunday afternoon at the 51¸£ÀûÉç Soccer Complex.
After earning the program's first regular season MAC title, the Broncos now await their NCAA tournament fate. The 2017 Division I Men's Soccer Championship provides for a field of 48 teams to compete in a single elimination tournament. Twenty-four conference champions qualify automatically; the balance of the field is selected at-large by committee.
The championship bracket will be announced around 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13, prior to the first round of competition. The 51¸£ÀûÉç men's soccer team will be hosting a watch party at University Roadhouse, just off campus. The selection show also can be viewed live at .
"We will regroup," said 51¸£ÀûÉç head coach Chad Wiseman, who was recognized as MAC Coach of the Year on Thursday. "We know tomorrow at 1 p.m. that our name will be called and there is a great chance we will be a top-16 seed, hosting a second round NCAA tournament match. … These guys have a lot to be proud of and a lot of soccer still to play."
About the championship game
After going down 1-0 late in the first half, Ben Thornton scored from in front of the net after an Akron player had cleared the ball off the line to tie it up at 1-1 with 11 seconds left in the half.
51¸£ÀûÉç got seven shots off in the second half but the Zips scored two goals to seal the win. Pepe Martinez-Bertrand had a chance from inside the 18-yard box on a volley with 16:30 left in the game that would have tied it up at 2-2, but Akron keeper Ben Lundt made the save.
The Zips took a 2-1 lead on a goal by Sam Gainford in the 56th minute. Skye Harter played a corner kick into the box and Gainford redirected it toward the goal. The ball deflected off of a 51¸£ÀûÉç defender and into the net.
Akron added its second goal of the half in the 78th minute, pushing the lead to 3-1. Nick Hinds crossed the ball into the box and Manuel Cordeiro one-timed it into the net for his second goal of the season.
Brandon Bye also had a late chance to tie the game up at 2-2, but after Kosti Moni played him through into the box his chance was blocked by an Akron defender.
The Zips held the advantage in shots 17-10 but only had a slight lead in shots on goal at 6-5.
Wiseman congratulated the Akron Zips on their win and their superior performance.
"From the very start we weren't able to disrupt their rhythm, and when you play Akron, I believe that is the key if you want to find a result," he said. "Our guys competed and played hard. Akron was just better today."
51¸£ÀûÉç's Giuseppe Vitale, Anthony Bowie and Connor McNulty all earned spots on the MAC All-Tournament team.
Learn more about 51¸£ÀûÉç men's soccer at .
For more news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.
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