CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The bracket started with 38 teams and Ohio Valley’s men’s soccer program is one of the 16 left standing following Sunday’s NCAA Championship Midwest Regional Semifinal at Schoenbaum Stadium.
It wasn’t a matter of questioning whether a Great Midwest Athletic Conference school would make it to the Sweet 16 for the first time in league history, but a matter of who, in an All-G-MAC showdown between OVU and Davis & Elkins.
In the end, top-seeded Ohio Valley used a 3-0 score from PK’s in a decisive shootout to take down conference rival and No. 4 seed Davis & Elkins, after the two teams battled to a tie for the second time this year.
But unlike the previous meeting on Oct. 5 in Elkins, one team had to prevail while another team had to unfortunately have its season come to an end.
OVU and D&E had also recently met in the Great Midwest Championship final just over a week ago, where the Fighting Scots won by a 3-1 score.
Ignacio Diaz, Guillermo Segovia and Javier Rodriguez, in order, cashed in on their penalty kicks while Great Midwest Defensive Player of the Year Carlos Rubio made important stops to help OVU continue its dream season.
Davis & Elkins, which was in a shootout in its opening-round game against No. 5 seed Saginaw Valley State, couldn’t quite recreate the playoff magic. The Senators ended their 2017 campaign with a 14-3-4 overall record.
D&E stunned Ohio Valley early with a goal in the eighth minute as Abel Ameyaw was able to beat a defender in the box. The Fighting Scots chipped away at the deficit and thanks to another noticeable shot advantage, capitalized early in the second half with the tying goal from Guillermo Segovia.
The Fighting Scots are now 17-1-4 overall and advanced to the NCAA Championship Midwest Regional Final against No. 2 Rockhurst from the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The final two teams from each of the eight regions will meet with regional championships on the line.
Rockhurst blanked No. 3 Maryville, 1-0, to book its spot in the regional final.
The site, time and date, for the OVU and Rockhurst matchup is still yet to be determined.