ROCHESTER, Mich. – The RMU men's soccer team claimed their first Horizon League Championship with a 1-0 victory over top-seeded Oakland on Saturday. The historic win improves RMU's record to 9-6-3, earning them an automatic berth in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS
- The Colonials struck early in the ninth minute when Anass Hadran connected with Chase Gilley, who sent a precise pass across the field to Victor Thompson. Thompson fired a long-distance shot into the top-left corner, marking his first career goal and what would prove to be the game-winner.
- Oakland pushed back, forcing RMU's defense to withstand significant pressure, including four consecutive corner kicks midway through the first half. The Colonials, however, maintained their composure and entered halftime with a 1-0 lead.
SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS
- The second half began with a pivotal moment as Oakland's Andrew Darakdjian was shown a red card just 30 seconds in, leaving the Golden Grizzlies to play a man down. –
- RMU nearly extended their lead with attempts from Logan Gilley, but Oakland's goalkeeper Alex Flowers kept the game within reach.
- Despite the late offensive surge from Oakland, the Colonials held strong to secure the shutout victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
KEY PERFORMANCES
- Victor Thompson: The junior defender from George Town, Grand Cayman, scored his first career goal, which proved to be the championship clincher.
- Josh Lane: The sophomore goalkeeper recorded his second consecutive clean sheet in the tournament, making five saves against Oakland. Lane has 10 career wins, including seven shutouts.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Graduate forward
Chase Gilley (MVP), sophomore goalkeeper
Josh Lane, junior defender
Fabian Overkamp, and senior midfielder
Kai McLoughlin earned spots on the team.
HORIZON LEAGUE LEADERS
- With a goal and an assist in the tournament, Chase Gilley is now ranked fourth in the conference in goals (7) and fourth in total points (19).
- Junior midfielder Anass Hadran produced an assist today, ranking him first in the Horizon League in that category.
HISTORY MADE
Under head coach
Jonathan Potter, RMU men's soccer wins their first Horizon League Championship since joining the conference in 2020. This was the programs first conference championship since 2005 when the Colonials won the NEC. RMU also advances to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005.
POTTER'S POSTGAME THOUGHTS
On the team's defensive effort: "So much credit to our guys for fighting until the end. It was a great defensive performance."
On winning the Horizon League Championship: "It's incredible. We've had so many alumni reconnect with the program and support us all season. We feel this is a stage where we belong and we're so excited to keep our season going."
UP NEXT
The Colonials will learn their NCAA Tournament fate during the selection show on Monday, November 18, at 1:00 PM on NCAA.com. The first round of the tournament is scheduled for Thursday, November 21.
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