SAN DIEGO — (4) No. 8 Midwestern St. (17-3-3) secured a 3-2 victory over (3) No. 16 Point Loma (16-4-2) on Saturday at PLNU Soccer Field. The Mustangs win Super Region 4 Championship and move on to 2025 NCAA DII Men's Soccer Final Four, hosted in Colorado Springs, Colo. The victory marks the Mustangs third ever trip to the final four, and the first since 2010.
The first half commenced with both teams establishing their presence on the field. Midwestern St. struck first when
Parker Plaxco capitalized on an opportunity in the 11th minute, finding the back of the net with assists from
Cooper Tea and
Dereck Espinal. This goal shifted the momentum in favor of the visitors, who maintained a strong defensive stance throughout the half.
Despite several attempts from PLU, including a shot by Emmett Layman that was blocked, the Mustangs held firm. The half concluded with the Maroon & Gold leading 1-0, setting a positive tone for the next phase of play.
The second half began with MSU attempting to capitalize on their early momentum. Despite an initial surge of shots from
Gabriel Gacovicaj and
Jarrod McKechnie, it was the Sea Lions' Elijah Langford who found the net first in the 60th minute, leveling the score. MSU responded swiftly with Gacovicaj scoring in the 64th minute off an assist from
Jaime Villagomez, regaining the lead.
As the half progressed, MSU maintained pressure with several attempts on goal, but Point Loma equalized again in the 84th minute with a goal from Diego Chavez. Despite further offensive efforts from the Maroon & Gold, the half ended with a 2-2 draw.
The overtime period commenced with the Mustangs applying immediate pressure. A critical moment unfolded in the 98th minute when Espinal scored, assisted by
Liam Pritchard and
Ethan Krchnak, giving MSU the sudden victory in overtime.
Espinal scored one goal and added an assist, contributing significantly to MSU's offense. Krchnak recorded an assist, helping to set up a key play. Pritchard also contributed with an assist, adding to the team's attacking efforts. Plaxco found the back of the net with his only shot, providing a crucial goal.
Chavez stood out for PLU with a goal from his single shot on target, contributing significantly to the team's performance. Langford also found the back of the net, scoring from one of his two attempts and marking his goal as a crucial moment in the match. Curtis Collazos, playing in the midfield, provided an assist and attempted one shot that was not on target. Layman, active up front, added another assist while managing three shots, with one on goal. In the defensive line, Shawn O'Brien contributed with an assist, and also recorded a shot on goal from his three attempts.
The Mustangs will now contend a NCAA DII semifinal on Dec. 12 in Colorado Springs, Colo. played at Weidner Field. The Mustangs join a field of Fort Hays State, Southern New Hampshire, and Rollins as the final four teams. Midwestern State will battle Southern New Hamphire featuring with a 7 p.m. (CT) kickoff on Dec. 12.
