MSU Athletics

THE RUNDOWN
WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Sixth-ranked Midwestern State dominated nearly every aspect of its NCAA Second Round matchup with 25^th-ranked Colorado Mesa.
 
Offensively the Mustangs fired 17 shots with four on goal. Defensively MSU Texas held the Mavericks to only three shots in the contest. The Maroon and Gold even owned a 7-0 edge in corner kicks.
 
Unfortunately, the only statistic that mattered was the final score as MSU Texas was unable to find the back of the net in a double overtime scoreless draw with the Mavericks.
 
CMU advanced to the NCAA South Central Region finals on penalty kicks, 5-4, while eliminating the Mustangs for the second time in the last five postseason meetings.
 
Midwestern State concludes the first season of the Michael Meachum era with a 16-1-3 overall record that included a Heartland Conference championship and a continuation of the fourth-longest unbeaten streak in NCAA DII history.
 
"The guys did everything I asked them to do all year," Meachum said after the conclusion of his first season at the helm. "I want to give the biggest thanks to seniors Alex Mullet, Nathan Clark and Kristian Martinez for their years of service to the program. I'm thankful for them and all the guys in the locker room for making my first year special."
 
The Mustangs created numerous chances throughout the match but were never able to cash in on the opportunity.
 
The best scoring chance for MSU Texas came in the 88^th minute following a foul by the Mavericks. Sergio Lara chipped a free kick into the box from just outside the midfield circle. Nathan Clark leapt into the air and headed the ball to the far post after the keeper vacated the area. A CMU defender cleared the ball to the touch line before it broke the plane.
 
In the second overtime, Koby Sapon-Amoah lifted a ball into the left wing with just over two minutes to play. Dylan Burke headed the ball to Bryan Ordonez. Ordonez whipped the ball toward the far post, but the shot rattled off the inside and bounced out.
 
Once in penalty kicks, the Mavericks went a perfect 5-for-5. Kevin Del Mazo, James McGhee, Niall Shaffery, Ethan Anderson and Lawan Abary all went left to sneak past MSU Texas keeper Taylor Lampe.
 
The Mustangs held serve early to match CMU kick-for-kick. Juan Ramirez, Kristian Martinez and Ross Fitzpatrick all drilled their opportunity. On the fourth attempt for the Maroon and Gold, Guarneri made a diving stab against O'Keeffe in what proved to be the difference maker.
 
MATCH NOTES
- Midwestern State ends the 2018 season with a 16-1-3 overall record
- The Mustangs will begin next season riding a seven-match unbeaten streak
- MSU Texas was shutout for the third time this season
- Sunday marked the first time Midwestern State was held scoreless in consecutive games since Sept. 14/16, 2012 in back-to-back scoreless ties with Texas A&M-International and St. Edward's
- The Mavericks eliminated the Mustangs for the second time in the last five postseason meetings, advancing on penalty kicks, 5-4
- The Maroon and Gold remained unbeaten in the last 24 contests at Stang Park, boasting a 20-0-4 record