(Story Courtesy of Trinity University Sports Information Department)
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The fifth-ranked Trinity men's soccer team advanced to the NCAA Division III Round of 16 with a 3-0 second-round shutout of the the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (TX) Sunday night.
GAME SUMMARY
Trinity had four shots on goal in the first 17 minutes of action, but the game remained scoreless until the 26th minute. Quentin Van Der Lee had a pair of shots blocked from inside the 18-yard box, and Brady Johnston fired in the loose ball from the second of those shots to put the Tigers on the board.
Johnston had another shot saved off the line in the final minutes of the first half, but Trinity only managed the one score by halftime.
The Tigers posted 13 total shots in the opening period, with six of those being on target. Mary Hardin-Baylor was limited to just four shots in the first 45 minutes of the game.
The Crusaders wound up with six more shots in the second half, but Trinity held a 23-10 overall advantage in shots for the game. Tiger goalkeepers Blake Lieberman and McCaleb Taylor also recorded three saves in the final period to preserve the shutout.
Shortly after halftime, Van Der Lee picked up his second assist of the night after finding Ethan Moore for a long-range attempt that put Trinity up 2-0 in the 52nd minute.
Liam Looney had a similar goal in the 75th minute to seal the deal, taking a pass from Jacob Hallenberger to finish off the scoring and propel Trinity into the next round of the tournament.
NOTABLES
The Tigers upped their record to 17-1-3 in their 10th shutout of the season, while Mary Hardin-Baylor completed the year with a 16-4-1 mark.
The Crusaders upset the Tigers with a 3-2 win in last year's NCAA second round, played on Trinity's field.
Trinity advanced to the Round of 16 for the sixth time in the past seven years, with the last appearance occuring in 2016.
Brady Johnston scored his ninth goal of the season, good for second place on the team. Johnston also now has three game-winners in his column.
Ethan Moore and Liam Looney each scored their second goal of the campaign.
Jacob Hallenberger increased his team lead with his 11th assist of the year, while Quentin Van Der Lee's two assists brought his season total to six helpers.
Goalkeeper Blake Lieberman guarded the net for 81 minutes and posted three saves, and he now has 56 saves to his credit this season.
UP NEXT
Trinity travels to Chicago, Illinois, to take on third-ranked University of Chicago (IL) in the NCAA Round of 16 on November 17 The two teams battled to a 3-3 double-overtime tie in early September at Trinity.