Men's soccer wins in 2OT, headed to AAC final
Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2019 1:11 amFrom SMUMustangs.com:
Terwege's Golden Goal Sends Mustangs Into AAC Final
Watch highlights
ORLANDO, Fla. (SMU) – No. 10 SMU advanced to the AAC Championship Final when they defeated the 3-seeded USF Bulls, 2-1, in double overtime on Wednesday night.
It'll be the third straight AAC final that the Mustangs (15-1-1, 5-1-1) have played in, winning the tournament the previous two seasons.
The Mustangs got the scoring started in the 15th minute when Nicky Hernandez took a shot off a rebound from the top of the box. The ball traveled across the box, through traffic, and beat the USF keeper on the far post to put SMU up 1-0 in the semifinal.
The Mustangs then held off multiple USF attacks over the next 30 minutes as the Bulls (10-6-1, 4-3-0) pressed higher in search of an equalizer. SMU goalkeeper Grant Makela was at his best on Wednesday night, making two great saves in the first half to keep the Bulls off the board – preserving a 1-0 SMU lead heading into the break.
The second half would be a different story as things began to open up for the Mustangs, as they sent counter after counter into the attacking third. Despite all their good chances, the Mustangs couldn't put it in the back of the net, maintaining a 1-0 lead late into the second half.
With their conference championship hopes on the line, USF would strike in the 77th minute when they drew a penalty after a challenge in the box. Adrian Billhardt would step in to take the USF penalty and he was able to equalize the game with just under 15 minutes left in regulation.
A few minutes after the USF equalizer the Mustangs would draw a penalty of their own after Garrett McLaughlin was tackled in the box, preventing a scoring chance. Gabriel Costa would take the penalty with a chance to collect his third game-winner of the season, but sent the shot just right of the post, leaving the score at an even, 1-1.
90 minutes wouldn't be enough to separate the two sides and so the Mustangs would have to find a winner in OT for the third time this season if they wanted a shot at a three-peat.
The Mustangs controlled possession in the first overtime, and nearly finished the game in the 92nd minute, but an SMU shot was saved by the USF keeper. Without a game-winner in the first 10-minute OT period the two teams would head to a second overtime period to determine a winner.
The winning moment came in the 106th minute when SMU earned its seventh corner of the night. Knut Ahlander took the corner, whipping it to the far post where the ball found Garrett McLaughlin's chest and then Brandon Terwege's foot, who buried the game-winner to send the Mustangs to the AAC Tournament Final for the third straight year.
SMU will take on the No. 1 seed, UCF, on Saturday night in the AAC final, marking the third straight year that the two programs have squared off for the title. The winner receives an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Terwege's Golden Goal Sends Mustangs Into AAC Final
Watch highlights
ORLANDO, Fla. (SMU) – No. 10 SMU advanced to the AAC Championship Final when they defeated the 3-seeded USF Bulls, 2-1, in double overtime on Wednesday night.
It'll be the third straight AAC final that the Mustangs (15-1-1, 5-1-1) have played in, winning the tournament the previous two seasons.
The Mustangs got the scoring started in the 15th minute when Nicky Hernandez took a shot off a rebound from the top of the box. The ball traveled across the box, through traffic, and beat the USF keeper on the far post to put SMU up 1-0 in the semifinal.
The Mustangs then held off multiple USF attacks over the next 30 minutes as the Bulls (10-6-1, 4-3-0) pressed higher in search of an equalizer. SMU goalkeeper Grant Makela was at his best on Wednesday night, making two great saves in the first half to keep the Bulls off the board – preserving a 1-0 SMU lead heading into the break.
The second half would be a different story as things began to open up for the Mustangs, as they sent counter after counter into the attacking third. Despite all their good chances, the Mustangs couldn't put it in the back of the net, maintaining a 1-0 lead late into the second half.
With their conference championship hopes on the line, USF would strike in the 77th minute when they drew a penalty after a challenge in the box. Adrian Billhardt would step in to take the USF penalty and he was able to equalize the game with just under 15 minutes left in regulation.
A few minutes after the USF equalizer the Mustangs would draw a penalty of their own after Garrett McLaughlin was tackled in the box, preventing a scoring chance. Gabriel Costa would take the penalty with a chance to collect his third game-winner of the season, but sent the shot just right of the post, leaving the score at an even, 1-1.
90 minutes wouldn't be enough to separate the two sides and so the Mustangs would have to find a winner in OT for the third time this season if they wanted a shot at a three-peat.
The Mustangs controlled possession in the first overtime, and nearly finished the game in the 92nd minute, but an SMU shot was saved by the USF keeper. Without a game-winner in the first 10-minute OT period the two teams would head to a second overtime period to determine a winner.
The winning moment came in the 106th minute when SMU earned its seventh corner of the night. Knut Ahlander took the corner, whipping it to the far post where the ball found Garrett McLaughlin's chest and then Brandon Terwege's foot, who buried the game-winner to send the Mustangs to the AAC Tournament Final for the third straight year.
SMU will take on the No. 1 seed, UCF, on Saturday night in the AAC final, marking the third straight year that the two programs have squared off for the title. The winner receives an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.