ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. – Junior midfielder Igor da Silva's goal in the 109th minute of play gave the Brevard College men's soccer team (11-5-3) a 2-1 double-overtime victory over top-seeded NC Wesleyan University (9-7-1) on Thursday afternoon in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
The victory sends the Tornados to the 2022 USA South Conference Men's Soccer Championship on Saturday, as Brevard will match up with two-seeded William Peace University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Kickoff time is still to be determined.
Da Silva and Lynch provided the two goals needed for Brevard's win, as Lynch knocked in assists from Rodrigo Garcia and Filipe Tchoulkov in the second minute of play. Brevard would not score again until the last two minutes of the second overtime period, as Lynch connected with da Silva for the eventual game-winner.
Starting goalkeeper Matheus Rossi (11-5-3) started and played all 110 minutes in goal for the Tornados, making a pair of critical saves.
BC's Lynch and Tchoulkov each took four shot attempts, with Luis dos Santos adding a pair of attempts. Da Silva connected with the back of the goal on his one and only shot attempt of the afternoon.
Brevard and NC were nearly evenly-matched throughout the contest, as each side traded scoring opportunities throughout the match. Brevard held the overall shot advantage, 12-9, with the Tornados putting eight shots on frame to NCWU's three. NC Wesleyan's defensive efforts were led by goalkeeper Fred Rogers, who made a match-high six saves. BC won five corner kicks to NCWU's three, while nine cautions were issued throughout the match.
The Tornados struck first in just the second minute of action as Rodrigo Garcia played a ball into the box that found the head of Filipe Tchoulkov, who flicked it on to Lynch who streaked past his defender and delivered a right-footed shot that beat the NCW goalkeeper to the left post, as the Tornados took the early 1-0 lead just 1:10 into the contest.
Men's Soccer: WATCH Ryan Lynch's early first-half goal that gives @BrevardCollege the early 1-0 lead in the Semifinals of the 2022 @usa_south Men's Soccer Tournament! #NadoNation #d3msoc #d3soccer pic.twitter.com/U2EwHOsshJ
— Brevard College Athletics (@BCTornados) November 3, 2022
BC kept applying pressure early, as Lynch took another shot before Luis dos Santos hit the crossbar with a shot attempt. NC Wesleyan's Lucas Marangos took a high shot at the 12-minute mark.
Fewer chances arose over the next 20 minutes for both sides, as NC Wesleyan took a wide shot in the 32nd minute while both teams attempted one corner kick apiece.
The Tornados mounted pressure in the final 10 minutes of the first half, as Marcos Silva took an ambitious attempt at goal from over 30 yards away that was narrowly saved, resulting in a pair of corner kicks for the Tornados.
NC Wesleyan's Tommaso Illario took a high shot in the 41st minute but neither side was able to muster many more meaningful chances as the Tornados took the 1-0 lead into the locker rooms.
However, the hosts were able to find the equalizer in the 51st minute of action, as Evann Vincenti gained possession and dribbled inside the BC box past a couple of defenders. Vincenti was able to fire a left-footed shot that was past Rossi in the left corner of the goal, tying the match at one goal apiece.
Both sides traded shot attempts in the next two minutes of play, as the two teams searched for the go-ahead goal.
Tchoulkov took a high shot in the 61st minute for the Tornados, while Felipe Garcia answered for the Battling Bishops with a 37th-minute attempt. Luis dos Santos forced a Battling Bishop save in the 78th minute while Igor da Silva ripped a shot off a set piece in the 85th minute that was saved by the hosts. Garcia forced Rossi to make a save in the 82nd minute as both teams continued to try to find a late winner.
The Battling Bishops won a corner kick with less than two minutes remaining in regulation, but the Tornado defense was able to properly deal with it, as the contest shifted to overtime with a trip to the USA South Men's Soccer Championship on the line.
NC Wesleyan took the first shot attempt of overtime, as Leho Louarn's attempt was saved by Rossi. Brevard had a good opportunity at goal off a corner kick from Ryan Lynch, but a goal was waved off due to a BC foul in the box. The match moved to a second overtime period with a winner still not decided.
Lynch drew a foul outside the NC Wesleyan box on the left side and would take a rip on the free kick towards the upper-right corner, but NC Wesleyan's Rogers kept the all-conference forward out of the back of the net. However, the Tornados would find the game-winner as junior All-Conference midfielder da Silva played a 1-2 with Lynch, as Lynch's pass was played through to da Silva who ripped a shot into the top-right corner of the goal, giving the Tornados a very late one-goal advantage, 2-1.
Men's Soccer: WATCH @BrevardCollege's semifinal winner as Igor da Silva's goal in the 109th minute sends BC to the USA South Conference Men's Soccer Championship!! #NadoNation #d3msoc #d3soccer #MadeInTheUSASouth pic.twitter.com/E74u0BqNd8
— Brevard College Athletics (@BCTornados) November 3, 2022
NC Wesleyan had two last-chance efforts to equalize before overtime wrapped up, but the top-seeded hosts were unsuccessful as the Tornados pulled the upset victory, giving themselves a trip to Raleigh, North Carolina on Saturday for the 2022 USA South Championship match.
The Tornados will take on two-seeded William Peace University on Saturday, with game time still to-be-determined. Brevard will seek its first overall USA South Conference Championship in any sport since joining the conference, and a trip to the 2022 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament will be up for grabs.
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-BC-