Iowa Wesleyan on to SLIAC final

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Iowa Wesleyan soccer team is one win away from capping off a historic run with a conference title. The fourth-seeded Tigers upset top-seeded Spalding University on Thursday night, 2-1, in the SLIAC tournament semifinals.

The Tigers didn't waste much time getting on the board. Mateo Mariano lined up for a straight-on free kick from just outside the box, and buried it just under the crossbar to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead in just the second minute.

Spalding responded early in the 12th minute. Abnel St. Fluer scored for the Golden Eagles off an assist from Kornell Hilliard, and the game was tied up at 1-1.

IW scored the eventual game-winning goal in the 28th minute. Goalkeeper Chris Rimmer sent a long ball down the middle of the field that was handled by Fabian Arvizu. He found Francisco Saldana with a pass, and Saldana passed the ball through a charging Spalding keeper to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.

Spalding had a few good looks at tying the game in the second half, but Rimmer and the Tiger defense stopped them at every turn. In the final 20 minutes, IW started to put the pressure on the Golden Eagles with a few nice looks of their own, and put themselves in great position with a penalty kick attempt in the 79th minute.

Arvizu lined up for a penalty kick with 10:05 remaining on the clock. His attempt went high, but the official called a violation on Spalding that gave Arvizu one last shot.

Spalding players weren't happy with the call, and two Golden Eagles picked up red cards while arguing. Abdikadir Hussein and Jacob Bass were both ejected from the game, giving IW a two-man advantage for the rest of the game.

The IW defense held on, knocking out the No. 1 seed and clinching their spot in the championship on Saturday, Nov. 2.

Mateo finished the game with one goal and three shots on goal. Eliecer Urena had three shots on goal as well. Arvizu had an assist and two shots on goal, and Francisco finished the night with one goal. Rimmer faced just four shots on goal, saving three of them.

In the other semifinal, Greenville University topped Webster University in penalty kicks. The game was tied 0-0 after two overtimes, and the Panthers won the penalty shootout 3-2.

IW will have their rematch with Greenville at 2 p.m., on Saturday. The Tigers fell on the road at Greenville earlier this season, falling 1-0.

The winner of that game will be crowned SLIAC champion for the 2018 men's soccer season, and earn their spot in the NCAA Division III tournament.