Box Score |
Final Stats SEATTLE – The redemption couldn't have been any sweeter for Roy Abergil.
The senior forward sent a shallow 12-yard shot into the net with 16:47 left in the game on Thursday, capping a come-from-behind effort as No. 11-ranked Colorado Mesa knocked off No. 8 St. Edward's in the South Central Region title game of the NCAA Division II men's soccer tournament, 2-1.
The Mavericks (17-3-1) advanced to the quarterfinals. They will take on the winner of Thursday's later West Region title game between host Seattle Pacific and Cal State Los Angeles.
"It's one of the best games I've been a part of as a coach or a player," Colorado Mesa coach Todd Padgett said. "St. Edwards is a very, very good team and they took it to us in the first half, to be honest. We went into the locker room and made some adjustments and we came out in the second half with more intensity. We really dominated in the second half and it showed in the score line."
St. Edward's, which made the trip to the Pacific Northwest from Austin, Texas, wound up with a 16-3-1 record, as its 11-game winning streak and 16-game unbeaten streak came to an end. Of the Hilltoppers' three losses, two came against Colorado Mesa. The first of those was a 2-0 season-opening defeat on Sept. 5 in Grand Junction, Colo.
Spencer Jackson scored the equalizer for Colorado Mesa early in the second half after Andrew Fox had given St. Edward's a 1-0 lead right at the end of the first half.
The play that led to Abergil's game-winning goal started when Nestor Escobar stole the ball just over the midfield line in Mesa's offensive half. He sent a through ball to Abergil, who was streaking into the penalty area.
From just inside the box on the left, Abergil sent a shot across the goalmouth that had enough of an angle on it to tuck into the right side of the net.
"I saw the goalkeeper jump to the left when I had gotten the ball so I placed it on the right," Abergil said.
That left Abergil with a much better feeling than what he had experienced just 16 minutes earlier. Given an opportunity to snap a 1-1 tie after a St. Edward's player was whistled for a hand ball in the box, Abergil's ensuing penalty kick banged off the left post.
"It's one of those moments that you need to try and forget quickly and the coaches kept telling me to forget about it," he said.
Fox gave the Hilltoppers a 1-0 lead just as the first-half clock ticked to zero. Mesa was whistled for a foul about 35 yards up from the net with 20 seconds remaining. The Interbay Stadium public address announcer was in his countdown of the final 10 seconds as St. Edward's players scambled to set the ball.
Fox approached and let fly with a right-footed shot that zipped along the turf, through the traffic in the goalmouth area, and into the low right corner past Mavericks goalkeeper Micah Conrads.
The Mavericks tied it up – also on a set piece – barely more than a minute into the second half. Oliver Querin's blast from the penalty area restraining arc was deflected wide by a St. Edward's defender. On the ensuing corner kick from the attacking right side, the ball came out to almost the same spot. This time, Spencer Jackson got a foot to it and drilled a shot into the right corner.
Conrads helped preserve the victory with two sensational saves in the final minutes. The first of those came with 6:46 remaining. Pablo Covarrubias launched a 19-yard shot from the right of the penalty area restraining arc that was heading toward the far post. As it was about to dive under the cross bar and into the net, Conrads got across the goalmouth, leaped, and deflected it away.
Then with 4:48 to go, Daniel Riley of the Hilltoppers had a point-blank header from about 8 yards in front. Conrads reacted in time to flick it over the bar.
"Down 2-1, I was very proud of our players because I thought they attacked very well and created a lot of chances," St. Edward's coach Brian Young said. "Their keeper did a very good job because we had some excellent shots and it just didn't fall for us today."
NCAA MEN'S SOCCERNCAA Division II Tournament – Round of 16Thursday, November 20, 2014Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash. (No. 11) Colorado Mesa 2, (No. 8) St. Edward's 1 Scoring – 1, SEU: Andrew Fox (direct free kick), 45:00; 2, CM: Spencer Jackson (unassisted) 46:06; 3, CM: Roy Abergil (Nestor Escobar), 73:13.
Shots – CM 13, SEU 18.
Saves – CM (Micah Conrads) 9, SEU (Kevin Leib) 2).
Corner kicks – CM 3, SEU 8.
Fouls – CM 14, SEU 13.
Offsides – CM 0, SEU 0.
Attendance – 105.
Records – Colorado Mesa 17-3-1. St. Edward's 16-3-1.
Next game – Colorado Mesa vs. Seattle Pacific or Cal State Los Angeles, Interbay Stadium, Saturday, 7:00 p.m. St. Edward's season complete.
