LIMA, Ohio – The #24 ranked Indiana Tech men's soccer team opened postseason play on Saturday afternoon with a matchup against the University of Northwestern Ohio in the four vs five seed game of the WHAC Tournament Quarterfinal round.
Last time the Warriors visited the Racers this season, the game would end in a 1-1 draw, but goals would come quick and fast the second time around this afternoon.
Filip Maksimovic would get the Warriors off and running immediately in postseason play with a goal just over a minute into the game. The Racers would equalize just a few minutes later as the two sides tried to figure each other out early. Midway through the half, Tech would strike with back-to-back goals around a minute apart.
Emre Baris scored the first and
Gui Moreira picked up the second with Maksimovic assisting both to add to a nice first half for the Belgrade, Serbia native. The Warriors would keep coming, scoring again just seconds before the halftime whistle as Moreira grabbed his second of the half, taking the ball from midfield by himself and scoring on a breakaway to make it 4-1.
In the second half, UNOH would put the pressure on early pushing guys forward, while Tech was content to sit back in the second half and protect their lead. With the Racers pushing up the field, they would leave a lot of space in behind where the Warriors would start to get out in transition on the counterattack. However, nothing would come of the chances early in the half for either side. That would change midway through the period. UNOH would continue to attack and eventually found a goal after a bad bounce resulted in a Warriors own goal. Moments later, UNOH would score an absurd free kick from way out to bring them within one. The Racers then found the equalizer, scoring their third goal in just over seven minutes of action to tie it at 4-4. Tech would gather themselves and regroup as a whole new game was set to begin with the teams level and the clock winding down under 15 minutes to play and the next goal surely resulting in the winner.
In the 78
th minute,
Zak El Hannach would capitalize on a nice feed from Maksimovic, slotting the ball past the UNOH keeper to put Tech back in front 5-4. With the season on the line, the Racers again launched an all out attack in desperate need of a goal. They would record three corner kicks and two shots on target in the final ten minutes, but Tech keeper
Alan Fleischer would deny the Racers another goal, as the Warriors held on to win the nine-goal thriller.
Fleischer finished the game with five saves in the win, while Maksimovic had a goal and three assists to send the Warriors through to the next round.
Javier Lopez Medinaceli and
Alonso Rosales also recorded assists in the game, while Moreira finished with a brace and El Hannach had the game winner.
The Warriors now sit at 13-4-2 overall record and will face top seeded Lawrence Tech University in the WHAC Tournament semifinal next Saturday, November 7
th in Southfield, Michigan.
- TECH -
