MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Wallace State men’s soccer secured the NJCAA Division II Southeast District Championship and a national tournament berth Saturday, defeating host Patrick & Henry 6-5 in a penalty shootout after 110 scoreless minutes.
Goalkeeper Emrik Senécal stopped Patrick & Henry’s sixth attempt to seal the championship for the No. 18 Lions, who converted all six of their kicks against the No. 19 Region 10 champions.
Eduardo Gutierrez, Jared Orellana, Juan Gazga, Wilson Nichols and Luis Orta converted Wallace State’s first five attempts. Matti Stöcker delivered the Lions’ sixth successful kick before Senécal’s decisive save ended the shootout.
The teams remained scoreless through 90 minutes of regulation and two 10-minute extra periods. Wallace State had opportunities to end the match in extra time, but Patrick & Henry’s goalkeeper kept the Lions off the scoreboard.
“We had a couple opportunities to win it in overtime, but their GK had some great saves,” Wallace State head coach James Fee said.
Playing for the second time in as many days, the Lions found a way through another postseason test.
“Great win overall,” Fee said. “Having to play back-to-back soccer games two days in a row is so difficult on the body, and the guys stood up to the challenge so well. We gritted it out and found a way to win in the end.”
The district championship sends Wallace State to the national tournament in the program’s second season under Fee, fulfilling a goal the team established last spring.
“Going to the national tournament in our second year as a program is a great accomplishment,” Fee said. “We had set this goal for ourselves last spring after our first fall that we wanted to go and compete at the national tournament, and it was a great moment to see that goal reached. We are excited to showcase ourselves on the national stage and keep going.”
The NJCAA Division II National Championship begins Nov. 15 at the Spencer Soccer Complex in Huntsville. Game times will be announced once the 12-team field is set.
