HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Carey's season came to a heartbreaking end in the second round of the NAIA National Championship as they fell 4–2 on penalties to John Brown University.
After some heavy rainfall and a game prior, playing conditions weren't ideal on a wet and very soft surface at Danny Owens Field. Both teams frequently lost their footing, with the pitch playing a factor throughout, especially late on.
There was excitement early as Carey found themselves in front within two minutes. Carey won a free kick on the edge of the box, wide on the left.
Daniel Mulero stepped up and sent a knuckleball of a free kick over the wall and in off the far post.
You're most susceptible to conceding within five minutes of scoring, and John Brown took advantage of that opening. Gabriel Cabrera sent a corner over everyone and found Steven Cisneros at the back post. Cisneros headed the ball back across and found Ahmed Abess, who knocked the ball in.
The Crusaders found themselves ahead once more, just eight minutes later. Danny Mulero intercepted a pass from a John Brown defender before playing a quick ball in behind for Pedro São Tiago to run on to. Tiago, seeing JBU's Adam Tebbs rushing out, passed the ball into the bottom-right corner with aplomb.
Ten minutes later, the Golden Eagles found themselves level once again. After a tackle in the middle of the Carey half, the ball fell kindly to Marcos Miranda. Miranda took a touch out of his feet and, from 25 yards out, sent a daisy cutter just under the hand of
Jamie Barry and into the bottom-left corner.
The game continued to go back and forth from there, but the goals had dried up. Carey thought they had taken the lead again in the 35th minute.
Dennis Hamzic played a well-timed pass to
Bautista Curto down the left, who then squared the ball to Tiago just inside the penalty area. Seeing the JBU defender in front of him slip, Tiago rushed his shot and sent his effort just wide of the post.
Both teams seemed to have wasted all their goals in the first half as chances dried up in the second. That didn't stop the action, though. Both teams continued to attack, refusing to sit in and defend, and went in search of the elusive go-ahead goal that had been avoiding them since the 24th minute.
Carey had the best chances of the second half, and both came within three minutes.
Elias Salminen sent a wonderful diagonal to Tiago on the left. Tiago drove past his defender and headed straight for the JBU penalty area. He pulled the ball back to
Felix Rocca, who looked to have an easy tap-in were it not for the recovering JBU defender, who miraculously cleared the ball off the line.
Seventy-six minutes in, referee Ethan Wilson gave Carey a golden opportunity to take the lead from the spot. Following a foul on
Teddy Miranda,
Rico Duggan stepped up to take the penalty. Duggan sent his effort toward the bottom-left corner but was denied by an excellent diving save from Tebbs.
JBU's best chances both came off free kicks from Constantin Bauer. Bauer had two efforts from similar positions, but both times saw his shots saved by Barry.
With the game tied, there had to be a winner, so the match headed to golden-goal overtime. Both teams continued to throw caution to the wind and went in search of a game-winner. The best—and only real—chance of overtime fell to JBU's Bauer, who sent an effort from range toward the top corner, only to be denied by Barry at full stretch.
With overtime unable to separate the teams, the match headed into a penalty shootout. John Brown went perfect from the spot, scoring four out of four. WCU missed two of their spot kicks—one hitting the post and the last being saved to secure the win for the Golden Eagles.
JBU took the win, 4–2 on penalties, and will now progress to the final site of the NAIA National Tournament in Orange Beach, Ala.
With the loss, Carey's season comes to an end in the second round of the NAIA National Tournament. The Crusaders finish the season at 14-4-3.
