There was plenty of tension Oct. 26 in River Grove when the Triton College men's soccer team played Harper College for the NJCAA Region IV Division III title. In a game contested in a steady rain, the Trojans rallied for a dramatic 2-1 double overtime victory.
Triton trailed most of the game as the Hawks (15-2) got on the board in the 30
th minute. The Trojans offensive attack was quiet until the 65
th minute when
Alex Mezyk (Lane Tech) recorded the equalizer off an assist from
Christopher Modzejewski (St. Patrick).
The suspense built as the match went on as both teams had their share of scoring opportunities. However, Triton broke through in the 107
th minute when
Marcin Kieta (Lane Tech) punched in the game-winner which sparked a massive celebration on the wet field.
Kieta was named Region IV Tournament MVP. Trojans head coach
Piotr Sliwa was awarded Region IV Coach of the Year.
The regional crown is the 16
th in program history as Triton has won 15 consecutive matches to improve to 18-1 overall. The
Trojans remain ranked No. 6 in the latest NJCAA Division III poll released Oct. 28.
Now Triton has their eyes set on advancing to the national tournament and could do so on their home turf.
Triton will be the site of the NJCAA Midwest District Tournament Nov. 1 and 2 at the East Campus Athletic Complex multi-purpose field. The Trojans will open the tournament Friday at 3 p.m. against Anoka-Ramsey Community College (9-5-1) from Coon Rapids, MN. The teams met two years ago in a district semifinal game in St. Paul which the Trojans won 3-1.
The schedule for the Midwest District Tournament is as follows:
Friday, Nov. 1:
Semifinal #1: Schoolcraft College (MI) vs. Richland College (TX); noon
Semifinal #2: Anoka-Ramsey Community College (MN) vs. Triton; 3 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 2:
Championship Game; 1:30 p.m.
All games will be streamed live on the
Triton College YouTube Channel and tritionathletics.com.
Admission to any of the games is $5 for adults. Children and students with ID are free.
Follow Triton Athletics on Twitter
@TritonTrojans1 or on Instagram
@Triton_College_Athletics for tournament updates.
