The Purdue Northwest Men's Soccer team's 2026 season came to a close Friday evening, falling to Roosevelt, 2-0, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Capital City High School. The Lions battled throughout the contest, matching the Lakers with 10 shots, but two first-half goals proved to be the difference as Roosevelt advanced to the next round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Basics
- Records: Purdue Northwest (11-7-2, 6-5-1 GLIAC), Roosevelt (9-4-7, 4-4-4 GLIAC)
- Location: Capital City High School – Jefferson City, Mo.
- Attendance: 120
Inside the Numbers
- Sophomore Landon Potts (Bettendorf, Iowa/Bettendorf) led the Lions with three shots, including two on goal.
- Senior Aloe Berassa (Miranda de Ebro, Spain/), sophomore Nikola Ivetic (Crown Point, Ind./Indiana Connections Academy), junior Roman Lynch (Mundelein, Ill./Carmel Catholic) and senior Juan Martin Jersonsky (Vicente Lopez, Buenos Aires, Argentina/Instituto Propuesta Actual) each recorded a shot on goal.
- Purdue Northwest finished with 10 shots and six shots on goal, matching Roosevelt's 10 shots while holding a 6-9 deficit in shots on goal.
- Junior goalkeeper Estefano Alvear (Guayaquil, Ecuador/Unidad Educativa Monte Tabor Nazaret) recorded three saves in 13:26 minutes of action, while freshman Juan Raad (Barranquilla, Colombia/Colegio Karl C. Parrish) added four saves playing the final 76:34 minutes.
- The Lions held a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks, including six in the second half.
- Purdue Northwest recorded 19 fouls compared to 12 for Roosevelt.
- Roosevelt goalkeeper Cedrik Strupler finished with six saves to preserve the shutout.
The Breakdown
- Roosevelt opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when Michael Sarna found the back of the net at 22:10, with Rafael Rios providing the assist to give the Lakers a 1-0 advantage.
- The Lakers added to their lead less than four minutes later as Rios scored at 26:05 off an assist from Fynn Mewes, putting Roosevelt ahead 2-0.
- Purdue Northwest looked to respond before halftime, creating several offensive opportunities and recording eight first-half shots, including five on goal, but Roosevelt carried its two-goal advantage into the break.
- The Lions continued to push offensively in the second half, generating six corner kicks while searching for a breakthrough goal.
- Potts, Ivetic, Lynch and Jersonsky each recorded shots on goal as Purdue Northwest continued to challenge the Roosevelt defense, but Strupler came up with the necessary saves to keep the Lions off the scoreboard.
- The PNW defense and goalkeeping unit also battled throughout the second half, with Raad recording four saves to keep Roosevelt from extending its advantage.
- Despite outshooting Roosevelt in the first half and matching the Lakers in total shots, the Lions were unable to find the back of the net as the contest ended in a 2-0 setback.
- With the loss, Purdue Northwest concludes its 2026 campaign with an 11-7-2 overall record after capturing a spot in the GLIAC Tournament Championship and earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Lions close out an impressive season that featured a strong postseason run and the program's second-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
