CEDARVILLE, Ohio (Courtesy of @UUsports) - On Saturday, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference crowned its first-ever Men’s Soccer Champion as the conference's Offensive Player of the Year and Urbana University school record holder in career game-winning goals added one more to the total. Tyler Wason headed in the game-winner on a corner kick from teammate Mark Whittle, to top Cedarville University in the G-MAC Men's Soccer Championship Finals.
The on-field celebration, in Cedarville, was a lengthy one despite the sleet and rain as the Blue Knights hoisted the first conference championship trophy in school history. Urbana's completed a perfect run through the inaugural season of the G-MAC (4-0). Wason's golden goal was his second of the season and fourth of his career. He is the all-time leader in game-winning goals at UU with nine in his two-year career.
Wason put the Blue Knights up early in the contest, as the junior forward pounded a goal off the Yellow Jacket keeper from point-blank range in the sixth minute, coming off a pass from midfielder Carl Peers. Urbana's defense, which did not allow a single goal to conference opponents during the regular season, held tough into the second half.
However, the Yellow Jackets finally ended the scoring drought on an Urbana own goal in the 61st minute. On the play, a free kick from just outside the penalty box, resulted in an Urbana defender trying to head the ball out, but it ricocheted into the back of the net for the equalizer.
The game remained tied at the end of regulation, setting the stage for a sudden death overtime. Less than six minutes into the extra frame, Urbana earned a corner kick. Ed Willoughby sent a cross into the box that G-MAC Freshman of the Year Aaron Burt just missed for a game-winner of his own. Burt's header deflected off a Cedarville defender, setting up another Urbana corner kick. This time, Whittle's kick found its mark. Waiting on the back post was Wason, who threaded the needle with a header that slipped under the arm of a Yellow Jacket defender.
Urbana improved to 10-7-1 with the win, a reversal of last season's 7-10-1 mark, while Cedarville slipped to 16-3-1 with the runner-up finish.