CREVE COEUR, Mo. | Creve Coeur Park Soccer Complex - Third-seeded McKendree University men's soccer toppled No.15 and #2 seed Lincoln in the Great Lakes Valley Conference semifinal on Thursday night, handing the Blue Tigers their first loss of the year, 2-1, in the first overtime period after knotting the contest in the closing minutes. Freshman Oscar Misic fired the golden goal in the first overtime after fellow freshman Fredrik Thulin scored the equalizer in the closing minutes of regulation. The Bearcats head to the GLVC Tournament Championship bout with the victory, are are set to battle fifth-seeded Maryville in the Saturday afternoon match up.

The first half saw the third-seeded Bearcats sit back and play the patience game with a few miscues as the 15th-ranked and second seeded Blue Tigers moving full forward with their attack. Lincoln out-shot the Bearcats 11-1 in the first 45 minutes of action with goalkeeper Toby Lewis collecting four saves in the half. McKendree and Lincoln went into the intermission stretch with a nil-nil score.

In the latter half of play, the Bearcats went down early to a Blue Tigers goal in the 49th minute as Lincoln continued to stretch McKendree's defense behind 13 shots in the half. The Bearcats battled onward with five shots going up in their favor before breaking through in the 89th minute. The clock ticked down into the final 120 seconds as a break through and forward push allowed McKendree and freshman forward Fredrik Thulin to enter the LU defensive third. Thulin took on the defense and the goalkeeper, blasting the tying goal on an unassisted play. 

The Bearcats and Blue Tigers entered the overtime period knotted at 1-1 with both squads finding opportunities early on. In the 97th minute, McKendree and junior defender Bailey Winchurch launched a long ball on a free kick, first finding the head of freshman midfielder Leo Goldschmeid before dropping to freshman forward Oscar Misic, who scored his first collegiate goal in stunning fashion. The goal put McKendree in the GLVC Championship bout for the second time in program history (2019 being the first), as the Bearcats toppled unbeaten, 15th-ranked, and #2 seed Lincoln, 2-1. 

GOALS
89th | #9 Fredrik Thulin (6), unasssited
97th - OT | #27 Oscar Misic (1) via #3 Bailey Winchurch, #30 Leo Goldschmeid


UP NEXT | GLVC CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
November 15 | 12:00PM vs. #5 Maryville | Creve Couer Soccer Park - Creve Coeur, Missouri | Championship Central

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