The Purdue Northwest men's soccer team saw its GLIAC postseason run come to a heartbreaking end Sunday afternoon, falling to Roosevelt, 3-2, in double overtime of the GLIAC Men's Soccer Tournament Championship at Robert Braddock Field. The Lions battled back from an early deficit to take a second-half lead, but Roosevelt found the equalizer late in regulation before scoring the game-winning goal in the 109th minute to claim the conference championship.
The Basics
- Records: Purdue Northwest (11-6-2, 6-5-1 GLIAC), Roosevelt (8-4-7, 4-4-4 GLIAC)
- Location: Robert Braddock Field – University Center, Mich.
- Attendance: 121
Inside the Numbers
- Sophomore Landon Potts (Bettendorf, Iowa/Bettendorf) led the Lions offensively with one goal and two shots, scoring his seventh goal of the season.
- Junior Giovanni Melgoza (Lansing, Ill./Thornton Fractional North) also found the back of the net, recording his second goal of the season.
- Junior Sebastian Chavez (Joilet, Ill./Plainfield Central) contributed two assists, while senior Aloe Berassa (Miranda de Ebro, Spain/) added an assist.
- Purdue Northwest finished with 12 shots, including four on goal, compared to 18 shots and nine shots on goal for Roosevelt.
- Freshman goalkeeper Estefano Alvear (Guayaquil, Ecuador/Unidad Educativa Monte Tabor Nazaret) played all 108:17 minutes, recording five saves.
- Sophomore Nikola Ivetic (Crown Point, Ind./Indiana Connections Academy) led the Lions with three shots, while Chavez, Potts and junior Michael Miljevic (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) each recorded two attempts.
- The Lions finished with five corner kicks, while Roosevelt held a 7-5 advantage.
- Purdue Northwest committed 14 fouls compared to 16 for Roosevelt.
The Breakdown
- Roosevelt struck first just four minutes into the contest when Matti Pickel found the back of the net at 4:00, giving the Lakers an early 1-0 advantage. Fynn Mewes and Noah Vasilev assisted on the opening goal.
- The Lions continued to battle throughout the opening half, looking to find an equalizer while trailing 1-0 heading into halftime.
- Purdue Northwest came out strong in the second half and evened the score at 57:11 when Potts scored his seventh goal of the season. Chavez provided the assist to bring the contest level at 1-1.
- The Lions continued their momentum and took the lead just over six minutes later. At 63:24, Melgoza found the back of the net off assists from Berassa and Chavez, giving PNW a 2-1 advantage.
- Purdue Northwest looked to protect its lead as the clock continued to wind down, but Roosevelt managed to find an equalizer at 85:03. Rafael Rios scored for the Lakers, with Pickel and Daniel Schaefer recording assists to send the championship contest into overtime tied at 2-2.
- Both teams battled through the first overtime period, with neither side able to break the deadlock as the championship remained tied heading into the second extra period.
- In the 109th minute, Roosevelt's Rios scored his second goal of the contest at 108:17, finding the back of the net to secure the 3-2 double-overtime victory and the GLIAC Tournament Championship.
Up Next
- The Lions now await to see if they continue their season in the NCAA Tournament with selections to be announced on Monday, November 9 at 5:30 PM CT.
