The final bounce of an all-consuming semifinal showdown fell in the Hope College men's soccer team's favor, sending the dark blue-clad Flying Dutch into jubilation on the turf Wednesday night at Albion College.
After playing 110 minutes in regulation and overtime to a 3-3 draw, Hope endured a seven-round penalty kick session against the Britons to decide which team advanced to this weekend's MIAA Tournament championship game.
The Flying Dutch converted five PKs to Albion's four, with senior Micah Wieland (Bristol, Indiana) putting Hope ahead before the Britons struck their final attempt off the crossbar.
"I'm really proud of this team," head coach David Blahnik said after his team dramatically advanced to play at top-seeded Calvin University on Saturday, Nov. 7, at a time to be announced. The Hope-Calvin winner claims an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
"We had a lot of perseverance and grit. We went ahead three times, and Albion kept clawing back. They're really strong this year," Blahnik said. "We put the ball in the hands [in PKs] of people who can be trusted. We believe in our team. We're excited to advance and continue to play soccer with each other."
Hope (12-2-4 overall) converted its final four PK attempts against All-MIAA first-team goalkeeper Tom Veresh, receiving goals from senior midfielder Evan Morrison (Canton, Michigan), All-MIAA first-team sophomore defender Jack Lowman (Novi, Michigan), All-MIAA first-team junior defender Benjamin Smitely (Wyoming, Michigan) and Wieland.
Before the run, senior goalkeeper Cooper Hutt recorded two saves to keep the PKs even at one apiece following junior Jackson Mindling's successful opening attempt.
Albion (8-5-4) forced overtime after Christian Orpineda netted his second goal of the game in the 87th minute. The Britons answered Hope goals three times during regulation, mirroring the tightly contested game the teams played at Albion on Oct. 7 that ended in a 1-1 draw.
The Flying Dutch held a 3-2 lead for 32 minutes after Lowman buried his third goal this season, set up by an assist from All-MIAA second-team teammate Evan Tsandes (Park City, Utah).
Mindling (Grand Rapids, Michigan) staked Hope to a 2-1 halftime lead by scoring goals in the 27th and 41st minutes. The All-MIAA first-team forward reached 15 goals this season. Morrison assisted on the first goal.
Mindling also reached the 40-goal mark for his career, becoming the seventh player in program history to accomplish the feat and the second this season. Albion tied the score at 2-2 in the 51st minute.
