TIFFIN, OH. – The run continues for the Kentucky Wesleyan College men's soccer team. The Panthers produced perhaps its biggest win in program history with an upset Tiffin University 3-2 on Thursday afternoon. In dramatic fashion Wesleyan advances to the Great Midwest Championship match on Saturday.
Adrian Stokke, cemented his place in Wesleyan history as he hit the game-winner with 33 seconds left in the match. The win also marks the program's first 10-win season since 1991.
The Panthers move to 10-5-4 on the season while Dragons fall to 13-5-1. In August the Great Midwest Coaches picked the Panthers to finish ninth out of 11 teams and now Wesleyan is one of two teams vying for the G-MAC title.
The Dragons have never lost to the Panthers leading the all-time series 5-0-1. After a scoreless first half, Tiffin was shell-shocked at the start of the second.
Callum Nolan found
Calum Newson running down the right side of the field. Newson got by his defender and worked himself into a one-on-one match-up with the keeper to score the first goal of the match in the 46
th minute.
For the effort, Nolan got his chance to score in the 55
th minute as
Filip Ksiadz passed through traffic to find Nolan who gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead. Less than a minute later the Dragons got one back as their shot hit the crossbar and bounced straight down to a diving
Soufian Khaloufi, the referees determined the ball had crossed the goal line to give Tiffin their first score.
In the 61
st minute the Dragons tied the match. The beneficiaries of a handful of corner kicks and throw-ins on the Panthers' end, a set pieces worked out for the Dragons PrayGod Pallangyo as he hit the equalizer.
As the match entered the final 15 minutes both teams looked to keep a 2-2 tie in place for extra time. Maybe it was karma for the Panthers in the final minute. With Wesleyan on the attack, an extra game-ball was kicked onto the field to stop play and the Panthers who attempting to play with tempo. After a short stoppage of play,
Jacob Boling's throw-in found
Cole Greenshields in front of the box, he touched a pass to Ksaidz in the center. Before being knocked to the ground Ksiadz passed to
Adrian Stokke who converted the game-winner as he was falling the ground himself. The goal marks the second game-winner for Stokke this season.
With 33 seconds left in the game, the Dragons were out of any other desperation tactics. Khaloufi made three saves on the day to help advance the Panthers to Championship Match.
The Panthers will play Findlay in the Great Midwest Championship on Saturday. The Oilers were picked to finish seventh this season by the G-MAC Coaches. The match will again take place in Tiffin and begin at 12PM CT.
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