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Ohio Northern University

Men's Soccer defeats No. 1 Messiah (Pa.) 1-0 in NCAA Tournament to advance to second straight Sweet 16

Men's Soccer defeats No. 1 Messiah (Pa.) 1-0 in NCAA Tournament to advance to second straight Sweet 16
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November 12, 2023

LYNCHBURG, Va. — The Ohio Northern men's soccer team is headed to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season after defeating national No. 1 Messiah (Pa.) 1-0 in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament on Sunday afternoon. 

| NCAA Tournament site |

The Basics

  • Records: Ohio Northern (13-5-4 overall), #1 Messiah (Pa.) (20-1-1 overall)
  • Venue: Shellenberger Field — Lynchburg, Va.

The Match

  • The lone goal of the game was scored by junior Brenden Gervers (Grand Blanc, Mich.) on an assist from senior Will Shaffer (Galena/St. Francis DeSales) in the 26th minute.
  • Despite facing a bevy of shots from the Falcons, the Polar Bear defense held strong to secure the victory in their fifth shutout of the season.
  • Junior Lucas Hickey (Conroe, Tex./Oak Ridge) played all 90 minutes in goal for ONU and recorded six saves.
  • The Falcons out-shot the Polar Bears 22-11, including 11-4 in the second half, and finished with a 3-2 edge in corner kicks.

Post-Game Interview

Notables

  • Gervers' goal was his fourth of the season and sixth of his career.
  • Shaffer is now tied for the team lead with six assists on the season to go with 10 goals for 26 points.
  • Hickey now has six career shutouts in goal.
  • This is the fifth time the Polar Bears have advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, joining 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2022.
  • Northern is now 12-8-6 in 12 appearances in the NCAA Tournament and is seeking its third all-time Elite 8 berth and first since 2012.
  • Sunday's game marked the second all-time meeting between ONU and Messiah. In their lone prior meeting, Northern fell 5-1 to MU in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
  • The Polar Bears handed the Falcons their first loss since Nov. 21, 2021, ending a 43-match unbeaten streak. The game was the first time the Falcons were shut out all season.
  • Fifth-year head coach Chris Matejka is now 56-26-16 at ONU. The victory was Matejka's first NCAA Tournament win at ONU, putting his record at 1-1-4, including advancing three times in penalty kick shootouts.

Up Next

  • The Polar Bears return to action later this week for their Sweet 16 game against No. 16 Colorado College. The winner of that game will face the winner of the matchup between No. 20 Tufts (Mass.) and Washington & Lee (Va.) in the Elite 8. Game times and locations have yet to be announced.