Pioneers Advance On Penalty Kicks In NCAA Opening Round
ST. PETER, Minn. – In the opening round of the 2024 NCAA DIII Tournament, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville men’s soccer team (13-2-4) played North Central (Ill.) (10-5-5) to a 0-0 draw in full time, but the Pioneers advanced in penalty kicks 4-2 on Saturday afternoon from the Gustie Soccer Field in St. Peter, Minnesota.
| Final | 1 | 2 | OT | OT2 | OT3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wis.-Platteville
(13-3-4, 4-2-0)
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
North Central (Ill.)
(10-5-5, 4-3-1)
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Team Stats
North Central (Ill.) : 5/ Y 6/ N 21/ N 4/ Y
Wis.-Platteville wins shootout 4 - 2
North Central (Ill.)
| Game Statistics | Wis.-Platteville | North Central (Ill.) |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 8 (3) | 6 (1) |
| Saves | 1 | 3 |
| Fouls | 12 | 15 |
| Corner Kicks | 4 | 6 |
| Offsides | 4 | 0 |
ST. PETER, Minn. – In the opening round of the 2024 NCAA DIII Tournament, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville men's soccer team (13-2-4) played North Central (Ill.) (10-5-5) to a 0-0 draw in full time, but the Pioneers advanced in penalty kicks 4-2 on Saturday afternoon from the Gustie Soccer Field in St. Peter, Minnesota.
Scoring opportunities were limited in the contest, as the two teams combined for 14 shots and four shots on goal through regulation and both overtime periods. The shots were even at two in the first half, with both teams getting one look one goal. UW-Platteville had the other two attempts on frame in the second half, but the game moved on to penalty kicks after finishing full time scoreless.
Junior Sebastian Carranza converted the opening attempt of the shootout, and North Central answered with a make of its own to keep it even. After junior Ethan Dietrich made the Pioneers second try, the Cardinals second penalty missed high. UW-Platteville missed its third attempt, but senior goalkeeper Lucas Cisneros made a diving save on North Central's ensuing attempt to keep the shootout score at 2-1.
Junior Danny Gutzwiller drilled the third Pioneers kick, and sophomore Timi Usikalu wrapped up the shootout by firing a shot to the left side, away from the lunging Cardinals keeper.
Cisneros played the final 28 minutes in net and made the big stop in penalty kicks after replacing starting keeper Seth Aiken, who left late in the second half due to an injury.
Carranza paced UW-Platteville in shot attempts in the match, and he recorded two of the team's three shots on goal.
The Pioneers will face host Gustavus Adolphus in the second round of the tournament tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. The Gusties advanced after beating MSOE 2-1 earlier Saturday afternoon.
