MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (November 4, 2022)- The Truett McConnell University men's soccer team traveled to face Appalachian Athletic Conference opponent No. 1 Milligan University for the opening round of the AAC Tournament. The No. 8 Bears played their hearts out, while forcing the game into double overtime and leaving the advancing team to be decided in a penalty kick shootout (0-0). TMU battled until the end, but ultimately ended the season after Milligan advanced 3-1 by penalties. 

The Bears conclude the season with a winning overall record of 9-5-4, 6-5-2 AAC,  their first winning record since 2018. 

"Wow, what a game! I am so proud of the performance that the boys put in tonight," said Head Coach Scott Borchers. "They stood strong tonight and went toe to toe with the No.1 seed, and kept them scoreless for 110 minutes! They showed heart, grit, and determination! We couldn't have asked for more. It's unfortunate that this was the last game of the season, but it was one of the best all around performances of the year."

PLAY-BY-PLAY

In the first period, the Bears were outshot 0-11, forcing TMU to work hard on defense. Keeper Daniel Santema recorded three saves in the first half to help keep the score even. The Bears continued to work hard and band together to keep the Buffs at bay, leaving the score to remain 0-0 going into the half. 

In the second half, Milligan continued to press forward on offense, while Justin Hicks recorded a shot on goal and a header from Marco Vernazza missed just right, sparking the momentum for the Bears. In the 64^th minute, a blocked shot from Maury Ibarra proved the Bears final efforts to take the lead, forcing the game into to overtime play. 

The first overtime period saw the Buffs aggressive with three shots. The Bears continued to work hard, while Santema recorded two crucial saves. Both teams proved evenly matched, forcing a second overtime period. Milligan remind resilient on offense, while the Bears continued to show their grit on defense to force the game down to the wire. Santema recorded two saves as TMU continued to work, and after ten minutes of scoreless action, the winner was still undetermined. 

With the game forced into a penalty kick shootout, both teams were pushed to work under ultimate pressure. Milligan recorded a missed shot in the beginning, while a perfect ball from Adrian Hofherr found the back of the net for the Bears. Milligan followed with a made shot to make the score even 1-1, while the following shots for both teams were no good. Milligan gained the upper hand with a made shot, but TMU ultimately was not able to respond, falling after the game determining kick was made by Milligan to put the Buffs up 3-1. 

LEADERS

Most notable, Keeper Santema recorded 11 saves on the evening. Hicks recorded one shot, one on goal, while Ibarra and Vernanza had a shot apiece.

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