Oakland and Cleveland State Advance to #HLMSOC Championship

Oakland and Cleveland State Advance to #HLMSOC Championship

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Rochester, Mich. – No. 1 Oakland and No. 2 Cleveland State came away victorious in the semifinal round of the 2021 Horizon League Men’s Soccer Championship and will advance to the championship match on Saturday, November 13 at 1 p.m.

No. 1 Oakland - 3, No. 4 UIC – 1
Box Score

 No. 1 seed Oakland defeats No. 4 UIC  3-1 to advance to the championship match of the 2021 #HLMSOC Championship.

Noah Jensen got the Golden Grizzlies on the board early with a strike in the 19th minute to make it 1-0. UIC placed three shots on goal but Jensen’s goal would be the only scoring of the first half as Oakland took a 1-0 lead into halftime.

In the 64th minute, Eduardo Garcia netted the equalizer for the Flames.

The tie would not last long as Mikey Ketteman converted on a penalty kick to give Oakland a 2-1 lead in the 69th minute.

Minutes later, Noah Jensen would net his second goal of the game off a penalty kick to extend Oakland’s lead to 3-1.

The Golden Grizzlies would hang on to that lead and defeat the Flames 3-1. Oakland capitalized on fouls, scoring two of three goals off penalty kicks. Finn Jurak collected nine saves in goal for the Golden Grizzlies, including a blocked PK attempt in the 58th minute.

Oakland moves on to their first championship match since 2015 where they defeated Wright State for the title.

No. 2 Cleveland State 2 – , No. 3 Milwaukee – 1
Box Score
No. 2 seed Cleveland State advanced to the 2021 #HLMSOC Championship after defeating No. 3 seed Milwaukee on Thursday.

Paolo Gratton got Milwaukee on the board first with a goal in the 29th minute off the assist from Phillip Riewerts and Joshua Kidder. Gratton’s goal is all the scoring that would take place in the first 45 minutes of play.

Cleveland State’s offense began clicking in the second half, scoring two goals in eight minutes. Albert Portas netted the equalizer in the 49th minute.
In the 57th minute, Andrew Nicholas would put the Vikings up 2-1. Cleveland State would maintain that lead for the rest of the second half and pick up a 2-1 victory in the semifinal match.
Cleveland State is seeking its first Horizon League tournament championship since 2012.

The final match of the 2021 Horizon League Men’s Soccer Championship will take place on Saturday, November 13 at 1 p.m. ET at Oakland Soccer Field as No. 1 Oakland hosts No. 2 Cleveland State. Visit the #HLMSOC Championship Central page and follow @HorizonLeague on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for more information.