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Schedule

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Schedule
All Events
Jason Diaz
Jeff Montgomery
2
Southern Nazarene SNU (2-14-2)
2
Harding HU (7-6-4)
Southern Nazarene SNU
(2-14-2)
2
Final
2
Harding HU
(7-6-4)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 OT 2 OT 3 F
Southern Nazarene SNU 1 1 0 0 0 2
Harding HU 1 1 0 0 0 2

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | by Scott Goode (11/4/17)

Harding Men's Soccer Advances to GAC Championship after Penalty Kick Shootout

SEARCY – Harding's first game in its defense of its Great American Conference Tournament title took a little longer than the No. 1 seeded Bisons expected, but junior Jason Diaz's goal in penalty kicks sealed Harding's spot in Sunday's championship game against No. 2 seed Ouachita Baptist.

No. 4 seed Southern Nazarene led Harding twice, both on goals by Pedro Garcia, but the Bisons came from behind to tie the game both times. After two scoreless overtime periods and the game tied 2-2, Harding won 4-3 in penalty kicks.

Ouachita Baptist defeated Oklahoma Baptist 4-3 in the second overtime in game one to reach its second final in the last three seasons.

With the game tied after the second overtime, Southern Nazarene won the toss and selected to kick first from the penalty spot. Both teams made their first kicks, but Harding goalkeeper Michael Wasson saved Southern Nazarene's second attempt, and Jonathan Curnutt scored for Harding to put the Bisons ahead 2-1.

Southern Nazarene again missed on its third shot, firing high, and Harding's Matheus Ribeiro scored to give Harding a 3-1 lead. Southern Nazarene closed to 3-2 by scoring on its next kick. Harding's Andre Cunha had his attempt saved by Southern Nazarene keeper Dakota Ellicott, who had 14 saves in the game. Freddy DiNang scored on the next shot for Southern Nazarene to tie it at 3-3, but Diaz netted his shot to send the Bisons to the championship game.

Garcia put Southern Nazarene ahead early with a goal on a free kick in the 16th minute that one-hopped off the slick field and in for his fifth goal of the season.

An own goal, headed in by a Southern Nazarene defender, tied the game at 1-1 in the 45th minute, just 38 seconds before halftime.

Only 30 seconds into the second half, Garcia scored again on an assist by DiNang to give Southern Nazarene a 2-1 lead.

Harding had many chances in the second half to tie, launching 19 shots in the second 45 minutes. The game-tying goal finally came in the 84th minute. Christian Ramos scored his team-leading seventh goal of the season after receiving a pass from Abraham Lopez and scoring from near the top of the 18-yard box.

Southern Nazarene managed only two shots on goal during regulation and scored on both of them. Harding set season highs with 37 shots and 16 shots on goal. Ellicott's 14 saves were the most by a Harding opponent since Rust College had 14 saves against the Bisons on Sept. 27, 2008.

Harding's matchup with Ouachita Baptist will be the third meeting between the teams this season. The Bisons won 1-0 in Searcy on Oct. 3, and the Tigers won 2-1 in double overtime in Arkadelphia on Oct. 24.
 
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