VIENNA, W.Va. (Oct. 27) – Behind a 2-1 win over Ohio Valley, the Tigers clinched the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Tournament Tuesday afternoon.
The win improves the Salem International University men's soccer team to 9-7-1 overall and 7-5-0 in league play. The Tigers will host the No. 6 seed, Davis & Elkins, in the G-MAC Quarterfinals at Catalano Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 2 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Fighting Scots slip to 8-7-1 overall and 6-5-1 in the G-MAC. They settled for the No. 4 seed and will host Trevecca in the other quarterfinal on Saturday at 12 p.m. The top-two seeds in the tournament, Cedarville and Alderson Broaddus, each received a bye into the semifinals.
Salem International took the lead early when freshman
Marcelo Pacheco (La Paz, Bolivia/Colegio Internacional Puerto la Cruz) put the ball in the back of the net in the 11th minute. Sophomore
Alejandro De la Macorra (Mexico City, Mexico/Colegio Vista Hermosa) added an insurance marker before the end of the first half in the 32nd minute to put the Tigers out in front 2-0.
Salem was the aggressor in the opening frame, outshooting Ohio Valley 11-to-three with eight shots on net. The Fighting Scots flipped the script in the second half, playing with a sense of urgency with the No. 3 seed in the G-MAC Tournament on the line.
Ohio Valley sliced the lead in half with a goal in the 69th minute and played the final seven minutes a man up following a Tiger red card. Despite the late push by the Fighting Scots, sophomore goalkeeper
Dom Gillespie (Whitley Bay, England/Whitley Bay) made a pair of saves in the final three minutes to preserve the lead and give Salem International the victory.
Gillespie made four saves in the win to aid the Tigers to the win. After outshooting the Fighting Scots in the first half, Salem was outshot eight-to-three in the second half.
The Tigers begin their search for a G-MAC Title and an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament when they host Davis & Elkins in the conference quarterfinals at Catalano Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 2 p.m.
