Mesa's magical season ends as they lose in overtime to Jones College, 2-1.
| Final | 1 | 2 | OT | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mesa Community College (13-5-1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
|
Jones College (16-1) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Jones College
| Game Statistics | Mesa Community College | Jones College |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 4 (2) | 9 (5) |
| Saves | 3 | 1 |
| Fouls | 13 | 7 |
| Corner Kicks | 10 | 10 |
| Offsides | 2 | 1 |
Wednesday, November 16, 2022 - 10:10 pm | Dylan DeVlieger
The men's soccer team fell in their second NJCAA National Tournament match today against No. 2 Jones College, 2-1 in overtime.
Mesa got on the board in the 20th minute as Gabriel Gutierrez found the back of the net off an incredible shot just outside the penalty area box. The Thunderbirds were able to ward off Jones College attempts to tie the game before the half as at the break Mesa took a 1-0 advantage into the locker room.
The Thunderbirds stayed strong defensively for the first 25 minutes of the second half as they looked to not only keep the Bobcats out of the goal, but to net another one of their own to increase their lead. Things went sideways for the team in the 71st minute when Farriel Corrales was given a red card, this put Mesa at a disadvantage as they were down a man on the field.
It didn't take long for Jones College to take advantage of their extra man on the field as Yussef Hakmaoui was able to sneak a shot past Andrew Powell in the 75th minute to tie the game up at one.
Mesa, though down a man, kept fighting and had a chance at taking the lead less than a minute later. Adnan Laroussi hustled down the field and broke up a goalie pass, Laroussi stole the ball and took a shot that missed finding its way into the net by less than a foot as it hit off the left goal post.
The score would stay locked at one as the 90th minute came, and in the first overtime period Jones College would score a header to take the lead, win the game, and end Mesa's opportunity to play for a National Championship.
In Pool B, each team ended with a 1-1 record, due to goal difference between the teams, No. 11 Prairie State will move onto the semi-finals to represent Pool B.
Mesa's season ends with an overall record of 13-5-1 including their two National Tournament contests. This team has accomplished many things that have never been done before at MCC. During the season the team became the first in program history to compete in the NJCAA DII National Tournament, they were ranked as high as the No. 5 in the country, and knocked off a No. 1 team in the country.
