Prairie State College men鈥檚 soccer team advances to national title match
TUCSON, Ariz. — “Why not more?”
This was the question Prairie State head coach Carlos Reyes posed to his team prior to its NJCAA Division II Semifinal match against top-seeded Phoenix College Friday afternoon.
“We made school history by making it to the semifinals,” Reyes said. “No team in any sport had ever done that at Prairie State. So, I asked the guys, ‘Why not more? Why should we stop right here?'”
The Pioneers agreed.
Unfazed by its matchup against the No.1 Bears and certainly unfazed by its own status as an 11-seed, PSC came into the tilt ready to play, and it showed.
After 110 minutes of heart-pounding soccer, the Pioneers historic run continued on via a 4-2 victory in penalty kicks.
Prairie State (18-5) will play Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference foe Morton, a 2-1 overtime winner over the College of Baltimore County-Essex in the other semifinal, Saturday at 4 p.m. in the national title match.
The championship game appearance will be the first for any team in any sport in PSC history.
Friday night’s triumph was undoubtedly the greatest in the history of PSC athletics as well.
Winning the match in penalty kicks was nothing new for the Pioneers this postseason. PSC also knocked off longtime rival Triton in “PK’s” in a Region IV semifinal.
“We’re PSC, we have to make things fun,” a relieved and ecstatic Reyes joked afterward. “Nothing we ever do is easy. But that’s OK because tomorrow we’re playing for a national championship.
“I’m still in shock to be honest. I always knew we could do big things like this, but I’m just shocked that we’re actually here.”
Both squads spent the match’s first 45 minutes figuring each other out and played to a scoreless draw at intermission.
The Pioneers then stunned the tournament’s top seed in the 55th minute when freshman forward Leonardo Dutra blasted a ball into the back of the net.
Both teams battled back and forth for the next 26 minutes as PSC freshman goalkeeper Igor Mrvalgevic made several diving stops of well-struck attempts.
In all, the 6-foot-4 native of Macedonia, made a career-high 13 saves in the biggest match of his young collegiate career.
Phoenix’s Gerik Jakubowski tallied the heart-breaking equalizer in the 86th minute.
The Pioneers fought hard to produce solid scoring opportunities in the second ten-minute overtime period, but were unable to put a legitimate chance on the frame.
In the penalty kick round, the Bears’ Gabriel Gonzalez gave Phoenix a 1-0 lead before PSC freshman forward Bruno Guggiari blasted a rocket to the back of the net to tie the PK round at 1.
Mrvalgevic then made an incredible stop of a bullet off the foot of a Phoenix shooter, setting up a marker for PSC’s next shooter, sophomore left wing Stefano Mazzariol.
Phoenix’s next shooter then ripped a rocket off the crossbar before Dutra took his turn, firing a shot past the keeper for a 3-1 lead.
Sophomore right wing Jose Rico then buried the game-winner, setting off a raucous celebraton.
Afterward Rico, who also scored against Triton in penalty kicks, remembered something that PSC sophomore forward Angel Arismendiz told him.
“Our captain, Angel told us, whether you miss or you score, you walk back to your teammates with your head up,” Rico said. “But, whatever you do, don’t doubt yourself, go wherever your heart tells you to go. The goalie (for Phoenix) had already faked going right and Angel’s words went through my mind and I didn’t doubt myself.”
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