MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The RMU men's soccer team continues its postseason run with another road test, this time against top-seeded Cleveland State in the #HLMSOC Semifinal. The matchup is set for Wednesday, November 12 at 4:00 PM ET from Krenzler Field in Cleveland, Ohio. The contest will stream live on ESPN+.
 
RMU LATELY
RMU (6-3-7, 3-1-5 #HLMSOC) punched its ticket to the semifinal after a gritty 2-1 road win over No. 4 seed Milwaukee this past Sunday. Senior midfielder Anass Hadran delivered a statement performance, scoring both goals for the Colonials. He opened the second half with a strike in the 46th minute off a feed from Kosi Udeh, before Milwaukee equalized late. With under three minutes remaining, RMU earned a decisive penalty kick, which Hadran buried for the game-winner. Goalkeeper Josh Lane posted five saves in the victory, matching his postseason career-high set in last year's Horizon League Championship match vs. Oakland.
 
Hadran has now climbed to six goals, four assists and 16 points—tied for second in the conference in goals and fourth in total points. Both Hadran and Udeh own two game-winners this season. On the back line, Jaxson Lee leads the team with five assists (tied for second-most in the league), while defender Kevin Gorbell remains an ironman, logging 90 minutes for the 13th time this season and accumulating 1,410 minutes to anchor the back four. Between the posts, Lane holds six wins, a season-high 60 saves, and five clean sheets in 2025.
 
POTTER'S PROGRAM HISTORY
In just his second season at the helm, Head Coach Jonathan Potter has elevated the standard of RMU men's soccer. After narrowly missing postseason qualification in 2023, Potter's Colonials have gone undefeated in Horizon League Tournament play over the last two years (3-0-0). Last season, RMU marched past Milwaukee and Oakland with back-to-back 1-0 results before defeating Milwaukee again on Sunday.
 
The Colonials have been especially dominant at the North Athletic Complex. RMU finished the 2025 regular season undefeated at home (3-0-3), outscoring opponents 12-6. Since the start of the 2024 campaign, the program is 5-0-5 in conference home matches, boasting a +13 scoring margin (21-8).
 
This season also marks just the third undefeated home campaign in program history (3-0-3), previously accomplished in 2006 (7-0-2) and 1994 (9-0-0).
 
HARD TO BEAT
RMU's three total losses are currently the fewest in a single season in program history. The standing record of four was set in 1995 when the Colonials finished 14-4-0.
 
ACROSS THE HORIZON
The Colonials enter the semifinal among the Horizon League's most efficient and well-balanced squads. RMU holds the second-best scoring margin in the conference (+0.50), trailing only Purdue Fort Wayne, and ranks second in the league in goals (26) and assists (33).
 
In conference-only contests, RMU has the league-best scoring margin (+0.78) while averaging 1.78 goals per game, which also tops in the Horizon League. Defensively, the Colonials have allowed just nine conference goals—second only to Cleveland State's eight.
 
ALL-TIME VS. CLEVELAND STATE
RMU is 7-15-1 all-time against Cleveland State in a series dating back to 1992. The lone tie came earlier this season in dramatic fashion: Jack Bejarano scored with five minutes remaining, before the Vikings found a goal off a corner kick in the final second to earn a 1-1 draw.
 
Last year, CSU claimed a 3-2 victory with Udeh and former Colonial Kai McLoughlin, finding the net for RMU. In 2023, the Colonials earned a 1-0 home win, with Hadran and William Dodzi Afawubo recording assists.
 
SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
No. 1 seed Cleveland State (7-3-6, 5-1-3 #HLMSOC) captured the 2025 regular-season title and secured a quarterfinal bye. The Vikings remained unbeaten in conference play until a 3-2 defeat to Green Bay on the final day of the regular season.
 
Junior forward Peleg Armendariz leads CSU in goals (5), game-winners (3) and points (11), while sophomore forward Matteo Correia is tied with 11 points, producing four goals and three assists. Three players—Uzman Ramees, Djordje Petrovic, and Josip Rimac—share the team lead with four assists each.
Senior defender Uros Jevtic is the anchor of the Vikings' defensive unit with a team-high 1,440 minutes played. Graduate goalkeeper Ryan Poling has started 15 matches, earning seven wins, four clean sheets and a .761 save percentage.
 
Cleveland State owns two Horizon League Tournament titles (2022, 2012) and two regular-season championships (2025, 2022).
 
BRACKET OUTLOOK
While RMU and Cleveland State battle in Cleveland, No. 2 seed Purdue Fort Wayne hosts No. 3 seed Green Bay in the other semifinal. Winners will advance to the Horizon League Championship on Saturday, November 15 at 1:00 PM local time. The best-remaining seed will host the title match, which will stream on ESPN+.
 
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