WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Midwestern State dominated the Lone Star Conference throughout the regular season, and the No. 1 seed in the LSC Postseason Tournament dominated the championship game at Stang Park on Sunday afternoon.
Maycol Reyes scored his first of two goals in the fourth minute, and the Mustangs defeated Dallas Baptist, 5-0.
The Mustangs lifted the LSC Postseason Tournament Trophy for the third consecutive season and extended its school-record winning streak to 17 matches. Reyes was named the LSC Men's Soccer Championship Most Valuable Player.
MSU, which is 19-0-1 this season, is outscoring opponents 60-11, including 26-2 at home.
Midwestern State played a 2-2 draw with Rogers State in the home opener on Sept. 7. In the nine home games since the draw, the Mustangs have outscored visiting teams, 24-0.
The NCAA Division II Tournament bracket will be revealed on Monday at 6 p.m. central time. Midwestern State earned automatic qualification with its victory in the conference tournament.
The No. 2 – ranked Mustangs are likely to be a No. 1 seed and regional host when the tournament begins on Nov. 16.
Reyes scored his eighth and ninth goals of the season as the Mustangs scored all five goals in the opening 31 minutes against the Patriots, who were making their first-ever appearance in the LSC Postseason Tournament final after eliminating Texas A&M International and West Texas A&M in penalty shootouts.
Liam Pritchard gave the Mustangs a 2-0 lead in the eighth minute with his sixth goal of the season.
In the 20th minute,
Gabriel Gacovicaj struck from 30 yards away on the right flank to give MSU a 3-0 lead, and the outcome seemed inevitable.
Reyes scored his second goal of the game in the 23rd minute with a tap-in off a low cross from
Mere Escobar, who was sprung up the left side with a pass from
Johan Juarez.
Escobar would set up the final goal off a set-piece from the right wing.
Samuele Muroni headed in the service in the 31st minute.
Escobar, who has 17 goals this season, has 13 assists and 47 points to lead the Mustangs. Muroni scored his sixth goal of the season on his 14th shot in 18 matches for MSU.
Alexander Knepper made nine saves for the Patriots, who put two of their four shots on goal, but MSU goalkeeper
Adam Braman stopped both shots to preserve the 13th clean sheet of the season for the Mustangs.
Knepper, Peyton Voelker and Leo Larson of the Patriots were named to the All-Tournament team.
Daniel Yu,
Jack Larkin, Escobar and Braman of Midwestern State were also named to the All-Tournament team.
Midwestern State won a conference tournament championship for the eighth time in the history of the program, and won its third consecutive conference tournament title for the first time.
--MSUMustangs.com--
