WICHITA, Kan. – The William Carey Men's Soccer season comes to a heartbreaking end as they fall 4-3 in overtime to William Penn in the semifinals of the NAIA National Championship.
 
A thrilling game for the neutrals and an excellent exhibition of the way soccer should be played. Both teams played some excellent soccer and scored some outstanding goals.
 
William Penn began the game high pressing the Crusaders, making it hard for them to play out and trying to force them to kick the ball long. It was through the high press that the first goal came. In the 6^th minute, WPU pressed the ball into Carey's own corner but, undeterred by the press, the Crusaders showed excellent composure and quality to play around the press and out of danger. Kolby Godbolt received the ball inside his half, turned and beat his defender and released Rico Duggan down the middle. Duggan drove towards goal, cut inside onto his favored left foot. From 25 yards out, Duggan let rip and fired the ball into the bottom right corner, leaving Sean Bohan stranded in the Statesmen net and only able to watch the ball hit the back of the net.
 
William Penn did not waste much time before they got themselves on the scoreboard and evened the game at 1 apiece in the 15^th minute. WPU won a throw high on their left-hand side. Just as they would all game, they launched the ball into the Crusader box. An unfortunate flick on from the Carey defender fell to the feet of Connor O'Reilly who fired first time through a sea of bodies and into the bottom left corner.
 
25 minutes in and William Penn found the goal to put themselves in the lead for the first time in the game. Another long throw, this time from the right, was launched into the Carey penalty area. A miscued clearance allowed the ball to Hugo Cornish. Cornish managed to toe the ball into the path of Matias Meijede who struck the ball sweetly on the half-volley and rifled the ball across goal and into the top left corner.
 
The rest of the half was back and forth with neither side having any clear-cut chances. Both teams looked good in possession but remained strong defensively. Carey's best chance of the half fell to Duggan again. Similar to his goal, Duggan let fly from range, stinging the gloves of Bohan who could only parry the ball straight up and tip the ball over at the second time of asking.
 
Behind heading into the second half, the Crusaders came out all guns blazing to start the second half. Carey pressed high and took the game to the Statesmen. After a couple of near chances, Carey evened the game at 2's three minutes after the restart.
 
Teddy Miranda picked the ball up on the right-hand side and sent a ball into the WPU box. A miscued clearance fell at the feet of Jamie Wynne. Wynne toed the ball round the defender and let fly, sending the ball straight through the hands of Bohan and into the back of the net.
 
Carey had seemed to have gone to sleep following the goal and almost allowed the Statesmen to retake the lead almost immediately. Albert Feixas received the ball on the edge of the box and fired a shot at goal, forcing Henry Hampshaw into a diving side to keep the score tied.
 
Undeterred by the effort on goal from WPU, Carey maintained their pressure and went in search of the go-ahead goal. In the 53^rd minute, captain Caoimhin McConnell gave Carey the lead for the second time in the game. Joshua Salas sent a long ball from deep on the right into McConnell's feet 20 yards out. McConnell faked the shot on his right and cut the ball onto his weaker left side. This afforded McConnell enough room to get the shot off and drive the ball low into the bottom right corner of the goal.
 
From there, the game went back and forth for the next 10 minutes with neither team creating much offensively. The closest effort almost came at the wrong end as Giovani Soares flicked a ball onto his own crossbar and out for a corner.
 
In the 66^th minute William Penn once again tied the game. John-Joe Mullane won a free kick wide on the right off a throw-in. Cornish sent the free kick into the box onto the head of Leighton Jameson who just beat Hampshaw to the ball and nodded in the equalizer.
 
The remainder of the game followed suit as both teams controlled the ball excellently when in possession but just couldn't find the elusive chance to put themselves ahead. William Penn's best chance came from a free kick. The ball into the box led to a goalmouth scramble but no Statesmen were on hand to tap the ball home.
 
Carey had thought they'd won it with three minutes to go off a free kick of their own. Duggan's ball into the box was met by leaping Billy Boag at the back post who rattled the crossbar with his header. The rebound fell to Jamie Wynne who sent his effort goalwards but was denied by an excellent save by Bohan before the WPU defense cleared their lines.
 
Heading into golden goal overtime and the game was there for the taking for either team. Carey had the chance 2 minutes in to put an effort on goal. A freekick wide left between McConnell and Duggan was sent over the bar.
 
William Penn got the game winner off the resulting goal kick. Bohan sent the ball forward, and after two flick-ons, the ball came to Cornish. Cornish toe-poked the ball away around the defender and played through Miguel Menendez. Menendez touched the ball forwards, and from 20 yards out, fired his shot past a sprawling Hampshaw and into the bottom left corner.
 
"Disappointed we didn't get the result today but so proud of my team." Said Head Coach Barry Farrell after the game. "It has been an amazing week here in Kansas. The tournament and facilities have been excellent. We have played our best soccer all year at this final site of the National Tournament. I want to wish William Penn Head Coach Simon Brown and his team all the best in the final."
 
The Crusaders finished their season with a 15-5-3 record and an NAIA National Championship semifinal finish. Carey started the semifinal with five freshmen in the starting lineup, showing that the future is definitely bright for this young Crusader team and highly likely that we will see this Carey team back here in the near future.