INDIANAPOLIS – Graduate student forward Leo Hasenstab put it best after his team’s semifinal victory late on Thursday night.
 
“Seeds are out the window.”
 
Hasenstab’s foresight proved to be more than accurate as the fourth-seeded Tiffin Dragons defied the odds to repeat as Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer tournament champions on Saturday.
 
Tiffin celebrated the same way on its home field in 2018, but it was a little bit different beating No. 3 seed Cedarville, 1-0, this time around.
 
Last year, the Dragons were the undisputed No. 1 seed and regular season champion – this season, not many observers would give TU much a fighting chance based on their spot in the standings.
 
The program had a chip on its shoulder while as many as four teams from the league could make the NCAA Championship bracket for Super Region 3.
 
Tiffin is now finding its identity under head coach Rudy Brownell and his staff, making the Dragons a dangerous draw as the Great Midwest AQ.
 
Brownell was chased down by some of his players and showered with a Gatorade bath in still chilly temperatures. But it was worth it for Brownell, who stood beaming on the pitch of Roger Glass Stadium after he and his staff led the program to back-to-back tournament titles.
 
All it took was a Caleb Gibbons goal in the 21st minute, the freshman’s second goal in two playoff games for the Dragons. Gibbons left the game in the first half with an undisclosed injury, but it was the next man up as Samuel Costello locked down his side in a reserve role.
 
After that, it was the defense. Whether it was the cerebral approach from two-time first team all-conference standout Joel Daly, aggressive on the outside by Eduardo Carvalho or GK Dylan Morris directing traffic from the back – the Dragons weren’t going to concede much of anything.
 
The Yellow Jackets were bidding for their fourth conference championship title run under head coach Brett Faro. Already missing second team all-conference performer Gui Fernandes with concussion symptoms sustained on Thursday, the Yellow Jackets still applied plenty of pressure.
 
Cedarville almost tied the game on two different plays that appeared as if the Yellow Jackets may have scored. The crowd certainly thought so as well, no play receiving more of a rousing response than Zac Muir’s header off a corner kick in the second half.
 
But Tiffin countered and packed it in, making it tough for Cedarville to get any good looks down the stretch.
 
Cedarvillle advanced to the championship final after blanking No. 2 seed Ohio Valley on Thurday. Tiffin scored a 2-1 victory in OT vs. No. 4 nationally ranked Lake Erie as Hasenstab delivered the second-round game winner.
 
The NCAA Selection Show for the Division II Championship bracket is on Monday at 6:30 p.m. ET.