Lebanon, TN – The University of the Cumberlands men's soccer team battled top-seeded Cumberland University to a scoreless draw through 110 minutes before falling 7-6 in penalty kicks Thursday afternoon in the Mid-South Conference Tournament Semifinals at Lindsey Donnell Stadium. The Patriots played the final 54 minutes a man down but held the Phoenix scoreless to force the shootout.
Cumberland looked for an early advantage, but Zachary Dean made a save in the 13' to keep the match scoreless. Dunsting Cohen Jr. answered with a shot on frame in the 17', forcing a save from the Phoenix goalkeeper. Cumberland nearly broke through in the 20' when an attempt struck the post.
Cumberlands continued to create opportunities, earning three corner kicks over the next 15 minutes. Jesus Macaya and Cohen Jr. each generated chances before Luca Piazza added a header that went wide in the 43'. Despite opportunities for both sides, the match remained scoreless at halftime.
The Phoenix increased their pressure out of the break, but Dean made two saves in the opening 11 minutes of the second half. Cumberlands was reduced to 10 men in the 56', forcing the Patriots to defend a man down for the remainder of the match.
Despite the disadvantage, UC's defense held firm as Dean added two more saves to keep the match level. Vinicius Serafim and Yota Ishikawa each put shots on frame in the closing 15 minutes of regulation, but neither side could find the breakthrough, sending the match into overtime.
Cumberlands controlled the attacking opportunities in the first extra period as Cohen Jr. had a shot blocked before forcing a save with a header in the 93'. The Patriots continued to push forward in the second overtime as Serafim put a shot on frame in the 103', while Samuel Dolobaipu added two chances in the closing minutes. UC outshot Cumberland 5-2 across both overtime periods, but the match remained scoreless after 110 minutes.
In the penalty shootout, Nico Romero, Eduardo Pedroza, Alejo Zambrano, Jesus Macaya, Luca Piazza, and Luciano Viejo each converted for the Patriots. The teams remained tied through eight rounds before Cumberland converted its ninth attempt and UC was unable to answer, giving the Phoenix a 7-6 edge to advance to the MSC Championship match.
Cumberland finished with a 21-12 advantage in shots, while both teams put five shots on goal. The Phoenix held a 10-5 edge in corner kicks, while Dean recorded five saves for the Patriots.
With the result, Cumberlands concludes its Mid-South Conference Tournament run and now turns its attention to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round selection, where the Patriots await a potential at-large bid.
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