UMHB men’s soccer falls to Ozarks on placekicks in ASC Quarterfinals

Above image provided by the UMHB Athletics Department

CLARKSVILLE, Arkansas- The No. 3 seeded UMHB men’s soccer team left all that it had on the pitch Friday afternoon, fighting against Ozarks through two overtimes with the score tied at two in the quarterfinals of the ASC Tournament.

But it was not enough to move on and keep the season alive, as the Eagles, the East No. 2 seed, won the match on placekicks, 4-3, in an intense ending.

After Ozarks’ Daniel Lyon netted a shot to the left of the goal past UMHB goalkeeper Ethan Rimbley to give the Eagles a 4-3 placekicks advantage, the Cru had one final shot to extend the contest. Goalkeeper Dalton Lloyd was in line to take the shot, and looked confident as he sprinted to the ball, sitting still on the turf, in a one-one-one matchup against Ozarks goalie Logan Valestin. But Lloyd put too much air under the ball as it sailed several feet above the goal, and with it went UMHB’s chances to claim the conference crown.

The loss ends the abbreviated spring season for UMHB at 6-1-2. Friday’s match was not recorded as a loss, considering the match went into double overtime before being decided by placekicks.

Ozarks was the first to score in the match, as Drew Mott took a pass from Lorfils Milord to put the Eagles in front, 1-0, one second into the 19th minute.

UMHB did not find the back of the net until after halftime, as the Cru shot 0-for-5 in the first 45 minutes of play. However, just three minutes into the second half, UMHB midfielder Brody Conley tied the score, hitting a shot that arced high before bouncing past Valestin and into the goal.

The Cru took the lead less than three minutes later with 50:17 on the clock, as a throw-in was fired by midfielder Nick Villanueva, and defender Harper Roland was ready to shoot. Amidst the crowd in the center of the goalie box, Roland rose above the rest, and headed the ball into the top left corner of the frame, just past the outstretched arms of Valestin.

The lead was erased by Ozarks in the 79th minute, though, which tied the score two and forced the opponents into two overtime periods before the contest was decided by placekicks.

UMHB defender Seth Neveloff had a good look from close to 20 yards out with two minutes left in the second overtime off a long pass, and maneuvered around three Ozarks defenders. However, his shot was low, and saved by Valentin. It was the last shot either side had during the period.

As a team, the Cru shot the ball 14 times, seven of those on goal, for a shooting percentage of 14 percent. That was consistent with the Cru’s offensive performance all season, though Ozarks’ 20 percent was several percentage points above what the Crusader defense had allowed during the spring.

Ozarks will now face Hardin-Simmons in the tournament semifinals at 8 p.m. CT Thursday in Abilene.