Men’s Soccer posts another postseason shutout in AAC semifinals but falls in PKs

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (November 8, 2022) – The Milligan University men's soccer team posted another 110-minute shutout but had its Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament run with by a 5-4 penalty kick margin against Union on Tuesday night.

The Buffs await their NAIA National Championship Opening Round pairing with a 10-2-6 record. Union moves on to the AAC Tournament final at 8-4-6.

In 110 minutes of gameplay, Milligan outshot Union 21-9, including 7-1 over two overtime periods.

In the penalty kick shootout, Mate Lengyel, Elies Simo and Luke Bennett converted the first three PKs to give Milligan a 2-1 edge after Ludvig Wille made a save on Union's second attempt. After a Bulldog miss on the fourth attempt, Milligan had three-straight opportunities to clinch advancement, but came up empty on all three. Asa Blake's make in the sixth frame kept the Buffs' chances alive, but a Union conversion and save in the seventh round pushed the visitors to the next round.

Union used a direct approach to generate a scoring chance in the opening 30 seconds of a match with a Bulldog blasting a left-angled shot in the penalty area that Wille redirected for an early save.

Wille was tested again in 11th minute as the Bulldogs centered a pass in the six-yard box in transition but again, Wille made the save.

Milligan's top early scoring opportunity came on a counterattack in the 24th minute. Alexsander Krogh and Greg Anderson worked together to quickly get the ball from midfield into the 18-yard box. Krogh fed Anderson with a diagonal pass to the left post and Anderson's well-struck shot was tipped just wide of the frame.

Late in the half, Milligan had two more prime scoring opportunities. Lengyel tracked down a pass beyond the right post in transition and left a pass for a charging Bennett. Bennett's try dinged the crossbar and Milligan was not able to put in the loose ball.

After a long throw-in by Zander Brown and an unsuccessful Union clear, Hayden Grubb lined up an attempt from distance that was destined for a goal in the upper-right corner but Union's keeper made a leaping save to keep the match scoreless.

In the first 10 minutes of the second half, an opportunity materialized off an errant touch on the Union backline, but Grubb's one-on-one opportunity was saved. The opposite situation happened four minutes later, resulting in a scoring chance for the Bulldogs and Wille made the stop.

Late in regulation, Bennett blasted a free kick just beyond the 18-yard box over the crossbar in the 85th minute. In the 86th, Jett Carter aimed a shot at the lower left corner and missed just wide.

In the opening minute of overtime, Union had a shot go right over the crossbar. Blake had a well-struck shot at the bottom-right corner saved. Blake also had a header off a free kick in the waning seconds of overtime but that attempt was snagged out of the air by the Union keeper.

The Buffs had all four shots in the second overtime but could not find the back of the net.

Milligan has already secured its spot in the NAIA National Tournament as the AAC regular season champions. The Buffs will learn their national postseason fate Monday at 1:00 p.m.