(Story Courtesy of Colorado College Sports Information Department)
MEDFORD, Mass., -- Saturday was the second straight overtime game the Colorado College men's soccer team has played in the NCAA DIII Tournament. This time, it didn't need penalty kicks to determine a winner.
Junior Teddy Libby received a dime of a pass from defender Curtis Hale in the 97th minute, then lasered the ball past keeper Lucas Hickey to send the Tigers to the Elite Eight.
Hale's pass cleared the entire defense, which Libby touched with his right foot to the low left-side corner of the net to CC up 1-0. The goal was Libby's first goal of the season and the third of his career. Hale's assist gives him two on the year.
"I couldn't be prouder of this group," head coach Scott Palguta said. "We just continue to find ways to get it done. One of the last things we said in the meeting room before heading to the field was that the team is the star. I think we displayed that today."
The Tigers controlled most of the shots taken in the first half. CC got off eight shots compared to ONU's four. Wyatt Linggi led the team with two.
Despite both teams' heavy shots, only one shot was on target on either side.
CC did have quality looks that went wide of the net, including multiple from Linggi and Oliver Ramirez. Jack Hilliard’s shot in the 28-minute was the long goal between the frame at the halftime break. Ramirez had one of the best looks of the half, but it banked off the right post in the 14th minute.
In the second half, ONU pushed aggressively and had the Tigers on their heels in the first ten minutes of the half. The Polar Bears nearly scored in the 56th minute when Ryan Sommerfeld almost snuck it across the goal line, but Tucker Burr cleared it out at the last possible second to keep the game knotted up at 0-0.
A similar incident would occur again in the 76th minute as ONU remained steadfast in their attack, but keeper Jasper Broad and the Tiger defense refused to budge.
The Polar Bears had 11 shots in the second half alone, but Broad saved all the ones on target. He finished the day with seven saves.
"Fantastic program," Palguta said of Ohio Northern. "I admire their resilience and toughness. They were a very strong opponent."
In overtime, CC responded by taking over the pace of the game and pressed hard past the midfield line. In the 97th minute, Libby finally broke through after a dime from Hale and finished the play with a fantastic ball to the back of the net.
"There was some spacing behind, and I ended up making the run," Libby said. "What a dime from Curtis Hale. We're just that sort of team where we have a lot of grit and a pretty deep group of guys…I'm really proud of what we've done here."
The Tigers didn't let the lead ease their demeanor as they locked in to close out the remaining 13 minutes of play and advance to the Elite Eight for the second time in program history.
In the game prior, No. 20 and site-host Tufts fell to Washington & Lee 1-0. The Generals moved to 15-4-4 on the season with the win and advanced to the National Quarterfinals for the second time in their program history and the first since 2021.
The game is set for 1:00 p.m. Eastern at Bello Field.
