The 15th-ranked and second-seeded University of Southern Indiana men’s soccer team could not get by third-seeded and 22nd-ranked Saginaw Valley State University in a hard-fought 4-1 loss in the second round of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Saturday afternoon at Strassweg Field. The Screaming Eagles see their season end with a 13-4-1 overall record, while the Cardinals advance with an 11-2-6 mark.
USI and SVSU battled back and forth for the first 15 minutes with only five shots between the two teams. SVSU picked up the momentum at 28:26, scoring an unassisted goal for the 1-0 lead. The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead into the intermission after getting their second tally of the game at 41:33.
In the second half, USI increased the pressure offensively and narrowed the margin to 2-1 when freshman defender Colten Walsh (St. Louis, Missouri) scored off a long throw in by junior midfielder Sean Rickey(Columbia, Illinois) at 75:06. The goal was Walsh’s fourth of the season and Rickey’s team-best sixth assist.
SVSU, however, responded by sealing its victory with a goal at 83:49 and 87:51 for the eventual 4-1 final.
The Eagles complete the 2018 campaign with 13 wins; ranked 15th nationally; their first GLVC regular season crown since 1990; their highest regional ranking since 1982; and their third appearance in the NCAA II Tournament. USI also hosted their first NCAA II Regional since 1982.
