LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (April 24, 2021) - For the second time in program history, St. Thomas University (STU) Men's Soccer has advanced to the NAIA National Championship tournament. The Bobcats defeated Milligan University 2-1 in the Lawrenceville Bracket Championship Game on Saturday afternoon from the campus of Georgia Gwinnett College. 

St. Thomas entered the Opening Round as the fourth-seed in the tournament, 36th overall in the nation, and upset the fifth-ranked (top-seed) Dalton State College, 4-1, on Thursday afternoon, before defeating the third-seeded Buffaloes from Milligan on Saturday.

Bobcat Starters

• George Koutsopodiotis 
• Teo Rondon
• Juan Manuel Collazo
• Luis Stalin-Munoz
• Joaquin Domber
• Federico Landaburu
• Alvaro Bode
• Felipe Madero
• Noah Tolcachier
• Soeren Zeidler
• Franco Acerbi - Goalkeeper

Game Notes

• Milligan was quickly able to get on the scoreboard, scoring their first goal of the game on a penalty kick in the 18th minute of the first half. 
• After the goal, the Bobcats were forced to play the remainder of the game short-handed, as STU received a red card. 
• Domber narrowly missed an equalizer, hitting the post on the first Bobcat shot attempt of the championship.
• Just before the halftime break, Domber shot wide of the net.
• STU went into halftime trailing 1-0 against the Milligan Buffaloes.
• In the third minute of the second half, Fernando Arzeno scored his third goal of the Opening Round to tie the game 1-1. 
• From the STU side of the field, Zeidler passed a ball across the field and found Arzeno near the Buffaloes box. 
• Arzeno finished the opportunity on a one-touch shot and beat the keeper to the right post.
• Domber threw a ball into the Buffaloes box to Arzeno, who found Madero for a chance at the go-ahead goal.
• Madero headed the ball under the crossbar and found the back of the net as STU took a 2-1 lead.
• With less than two minutes remaining in the game, MU tried one last opportunity to tie the game, but Acerbi made a diving save to hold the Buffaloes off the scoreboard.

St. Thomas has not advanced to the NAIA National Championship since 2017. STU set the program record for wins in a season (14) and won the Sun Conference outright. The Bobcats are currently 13-5 and earned the third Sun Conference tournament title in the past five years earlier this season. 

MVBobcats

• Fernando Arzeno: (49')
• Felipe Madero: (61'), Game winning goal

Upcoming

St. Thomas University will now travel to Columbia County, GA., to compete in the 62nd annual NAIA National Championship from Blanchard Woods Park, beginning on May 4.

-STU-