Buffs net overtime win in first round of NAIA National Tournament
A rocket delivered by Odin Solheim in overtime netted Milligan University the 3-2 victory in the first round of the NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship Tournament against No. 12 Georgia Gwinnett Thursday evening.
| Final | 1 | 2 | OT | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Milligan
(12-2-0)
|
0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
|
No. 12 Georgia Gwinnett
(10-2-2)
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Team Stats
No. 12 Georgia Gwinnett
| Game Statistics | Milligan | No. 12 Georgia Gwinnett |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 8 (6) | 11 (5) |
| Saves | 3 | 3 |
| Fouls | 5 | 12 |
| Corner Kicks | 8 | 8 |
| Offsides | 2 | 1 |
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (April 22, 2021) – A rocket delivered by Odin Solheim in overtime netted Milligan University the 3-2 victory in the first round of the NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship Tournament against No. 12 Georgia Gwinnett Thursday evening.
This is the second win the Buffs have earned against Top 15 ranked teams this season and is the second appearance for the program, with the first being in 2006.
Only the Grizzlies' Diego Milessi would find the net in the first half, but Solheim, off of a corner kick from Luke Bennett, would tie the game up in the second half.
Victor Castel would find a goal of his own, just seven minutes later, as Inaki Moreno would assist with a cross from the right side into an open net, putting the Buffs in the lead.
However, the Grizzlies would not be put out so easily, as Karim Tmimi would score off the crossbar to tie the game with roughly 13 minutes remaining in regular play.
Milligan would take the only two shots in the remaining time, but they would not find an opening against Georgia Gwinnett's Matija Gligorovic.
Solheim would kill the game and the Grizzlies's post season hopes, scoring the golden goal just seven minutes into overtime.
"I'm really proud of the guys again today," Coach David Lilly remarked, "They don't know when to give up. Going down against a top Georgia Gwinnett team and trying to get back in the game was always going to be difficult. But the guys just kept fighting. The determination and resilience after half-time was immense. We are looking forward to playing an excellent St. Thomas [University] team on Saturday."
Final game tallies saw Georgia Gwinnett lead the shot count 11-8, with corner kicks and saves tied for both teams at eight and three respectively.
Milligan will face off against St. Thomas University on April 24 in the second round of the national tournament.