ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson University men's soccer team advanced to the South Atlantic Conference semifinals with a thrilling 1-0 overtime win over Queens on Saturday (Nov. 6) at Spero Financial Field.
Anderson entered the match as the number four seed in the SAC Tournament with an 11-3-2 record on the season, while Queens was the fifth seed with a 7-6-2 win-loss record. In the last matchup between the teams on September 29th, the Trojans defeated the Royals 1-0 courtesy of a penalty kick from Agustin Ortiz.
The Trojans came out firing in the first half, controlling possession of the game and outshooting Queens 10 to one. However, the Royals' defense held strong as the game remained scoreless heading into halftime.
Goalkeeper Nicolai Anderson came up big for Queens as he finished the match with 10 saves. The Anderson attackers totaled 29 shots and 15 corner kicks, with 10 of them coming in the second half. Despite the high total of opportunities, the score remained 0-0 heading into overtime.
In the 98th minute, the Trojans earned their 15th corner kick of the night. Agustin Ortiz placed a beautiful cross on the far side of the box, connecting with Harry Ward as he headed the ball into the back of the net to propel the Trojans to the SAC Semifinals.
"Another battle against a tough team and the boys came out on top," said coach Michael Zion. "I thought they showed a lot of character tonight. They had to keep fighting and playing for one another and they did. Now we advance on to the semifinals!"
The Trojans will be back in action on Friday (Nov. 12) as they will take on the eighth seeded Coker Cobras in the SAC Semifinals. The Sportsplex at Matthews, N.C. will be the host site for the tournament, with the game slated to begin at 5:00 P.M., with video and live stats available at www.autrojans.com.
