THE RUNDOWN
WICHITA FALLS – Pierre Bocquet's magical run through the middle of the Colorado School of Mines defense in the 67th minute resulted in all the opportunity top-ranked Midwestern State needed to dispatch No. 8 Colorado School of Mines 2-0 Thursday night in the NCAA Division II South Central Region final at Stang Park.
 
The Mustangs move on to the national quarterfinal round Saturday night against Cal Poly Pomona at Stang Park. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The Broncos upset No. 2-ranked California Baptist 1-0 earlier Thursday afternoon.
 
"The guys have been grinding all season. We knew they were going to be a good team. They won the RMAC regular season title and postseason tournament," MSU coach Doug Elder said. "They put a lot of pressure on us at the beginning of the game, but they kind of wore down a little bit."
 
The teams were scoreless through the first 60-plus minutes of the game before Bocquet ran on to a throw-in in the MSU offensive third and weaved his way into the box.
 
"I just made a run. I had some luck just going through those guys. I just tapped it in and the guy just slide tackled me," Bocquet said. "It was a straight pen."
 
Junior Patrick Fitzgerald did what he does best by converting his sixth penalty kick of the season to give the Mustangs a bit of breathing run.
 
"I started celebrating before he hit it," junior midfielder Ross Fitzpatrick said. "It was massive because late in the first half we created loads of chances but couldn't put any of them away. In the second half, we worked a lot harder because Mines got a bit of momentum. It was going back and forth, so for Pierre to work that a little bit of magic to pass two or three fellas he was fortunate to get brought down for penalty."
 
Fitzpatrick added a goal of his own with just three ticks remaining to start the celebration of a second straight and seventh overall region championship for Midwestern State.
 
"I am just happy for the guys," Elder said. "We've grinded out some games this year that were real close. For us to grind this one out and hold them off it was redemption for 2015. What a heck of a ride we've had this season. These guys have really stepped it up and I am really proud of them, but we've got more work to do."
 
The Mustangs claimed their ninth consecutive victory to cinch Elder's first 20-win season at the helm. It's the program's first 20-win season since 1995. The 20-0-2 record represents the best overall start in the storied history of MSU men's soccer.
 
A win over Cal Poly Pomona Saturday would return the Mustangs to the Final Four for the first time since 2010.
 
NOTES
- Junior midfielder Patrick Fitzgerald is a perfect 6-for-6 on penalty kicks this season. It's the most successful penalty kicks to at least the 2000 season. There are no records of penalty kicks prior to that season.
- Redshirt-freshman Taylor Lampe made six saves to clinch his third straight clean sheet and eighth of the season. He lowered his season goals against average 0.25 while improving to 10-0-1 in 12 starts.
- Lampe has allowed three goals in 1,060 minutes between the posts this season.
- Sophomore midfielder Ross Fitzpatrick scored his first goal since tallying goals in consecutive matches against Dallas Baptist and Newman last month.
- MSU improved to 17-10-3 all-time in the NCAA postseason including a 9-2-1 run at Stang Park.
- Cal Poly Pomona is playing in its second national quarterfinal at Stang Park. The Broncos defeated Cal State-Dominguez Hills and Colorado School of Mines in 2015 to move on to the national semifinals.
 
UP NEXT
Midwestern State takes on Cal Poly Pomona in the national quarterfinals Saturday night at Stang Park. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.