Bowling Green, KY – Down by a goal with just 15 minutes left in the game, UC rallied to score three unanswered sending them to their second Mid-South Conference Tournament Championship in a row. The Patriots had to defeat #21 Cumberland U 3-1 to advance to the MSC Championship game and secure a spot in the NAIA Opening Round.

Stephen Appiah netted the first two goals for UC, earning him his first multi-goal game of his career. Ricardo Lopes de Matos knocked in the final goal of the game, the first for him this season.

It was an evenly matched first half with neither team getting on the scoresheet. Nathan Hart recorded his first two saves of the game in the opening half. His second save came in the 35' when the Phoenix had a free kick outside the box. They sent the ball to the lower left part of the goal, but Hart made a diving save to keep the game level.

Both teams recorded five shots in the opening period but the 0-0 scoreline went into the second half. The game remained scoreless until the 65^th minute of play when the Phoenix scored the first goal of the game off a cross. 

The Patriots would wait just 12 minutes to find their first goal. Cumberlands played the ball out of the back up to Liam Healey. He cut the ball past his defender and played it out wide on the right to Joel Drewery. On Drewery's second touch he sent the ball into the box right to Appiah who skimmed the ball off his head and into the lower left side of the goal for the equalizer.



Not settled with the tie, Cumberlands converted the go-ahead goal in the 83^rd minute. With great build up from the defense, the ball was played up to Shuma Sasaki. He trapped the ball and spun to his left playing the ball out wide to Drewery. The senior needed one touch this time to send a curing ball into the box. The low ball fell right to left foot of Appiah who knocked it into the net for his second and the team's second of the night.



Wanting to ensure the win, UC extended their lead to two goals just one minute later. Drewery sent a ball up the field from behind the halfway line. The ball was deflected out wide to Sasaki and he then dribbled the ball to the outside of the box on the right side. He crossed the ball into the box, past Appiah, who dove but could not get on the end of it. But Lopes de Matos was making a back post run and trapped the ball, baiting the goalkeeper. With the Phoenix keeper out of position, Lopes de Matos chipped the ball over him to make the score 3-1.



The Patriots held onto the lead to finish the game with the two-goal lead. This marks the second straight game UC has scored their game winning goal in the final 15 minutes of play. With the pair of goals for Appiah he now has three goals in two games, while Sasaki has four assists in two games. Also, with the pair of assists for Drewery he has now recorded the most assists in a single season for his career with a dozen.

The victory puts UC in the MSC Championship game for the second straight year, while also securing them a spot in the NAIA Opening Round for the third straight season.

Cumberlands will face the Regular Season MSC Champions Lindsey Wilson in the Championship game in Bowling Green, KY on Friday, November 12 at 2:30PM ET. The livestream for the match can be found here.

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