Mitchell, SD –
DWU men's soccer team grabbed a huge win to move into 7th place in the GPAC after defeating Midland. The win puts the Tigers just ahead of Midland and the team will be on the road for the final two games of the regular season. The first road game will be against the 10th place team Jamestown and then against the 4th placed team Morningside. This win today, thanks to huge performances from seniors Hunter Birozy with huge saves and senior Cesar Requena who scored the second goal for the Tigers, puts the Tigers in contention for the GPAC playoffs.
How It Happened –
Although the scoreboard was 0-0 after the first 45 minutes, the first half was filled with excitement. The two offenses put up 14 total shots in the first half combined with each goalie grabbing 4 saves a piece. The Tigers looked to push the pedal to the metal in this game and did just that. The offense forced several corner kicks in the first half and the defense didn't allow anything easy for Midland. The defense picked up multiple fouls and a yellow card in the first half, playing aggressively to keep Midland from finding their groove. In the closing minutes of the first half, each squad was able to take shots at their opponents' goals to try and get on the board, with no success.
The second half was a fast paced, action packed 45 minutes. DWU picked up where the left off in the first half and pushed the energy taking a shot on goal in the first minute. Finally, after 70 quiet minutes, DWU made some noise. Juan Gomez had the ball just outside the penalty box and found a flashing Michael Kelly on the right side. Gomez sent the ball to Kelly who fired his shot right between the Midland goalie's legs and hit the back of the net to put the Tigers on the board. Midland didn't have an answer yet, but senior Cesar Requena did. Requena took control of the ball in Midland territory, passed it up to left side but the pass was cut off and landed back to Cesar. He found Francis Dolce in the center of the pitch, passed the ball, and made his cut through the defense. Dolce found Requena cutting, shot a quick pass, and Requena put it away past the goalkeeper to make it 2-0 Tigers. Midland would look to answer after the second goal and found their chance in the 89' minute. After a botched header from a Midland corner kick, a second header shot slipped past Hunter Birozy's hands. Birozy was just 30 seconds away from his third straight shutout win and one save shy of matching his career high of 8 saves (7 saves vs. Midland). That DWU defense stood their ground for the last 30 seconds of the match to secure the big-time win, their third in a row.
Up Next for the Tigers –
DWU will travel to Jamestown on the 25th of October for a must win matchup against the 10th placed team in the GPAC. Kick off is set for 5:00 PM.
