Men's Soccer Midwest District Champions 2023

Men's Soccer 10/31/2023 6:49:00 AM

Men's Soccer Wins Midwest District Championship

Box Score Austin, MN, 10/28/23: "A winter wonderland classic" played out in Austin, MN, as both teams geared up for their district final matchup on Saturday afternoon. It was a high of 32 degrees & later on in the match turned into a nice snowy afternoon as both teams were trying to stay locked in & win their school the Midwest District Championship.

The winner of this match would automatically qualify for the NJCAA National Championship in Gastonia, NC, so it was very important for both teams to stay warm & stay focused for the entirety of the match.

The hosts, Riverland Communtiy College, started the match off well with a nice through ball between Harper's defense, leading to a one on one with our captain & goalkeeper Ramon Orozco. The ball eventually found its way in the back of the net after eight minutes and Harper found themselves down 1-0 early. This did not affect the way Harper wanted to play, as they continued to possess the ball throughout the remainder of the first half & had several opportunities to equalize prior to halftime. Unfortunately, they were unable to capitalize on their chances and went into halftime down 1-0.

Coach Gacanovic & Coach Lemberg knew their team was playing a fantastic match thus far & provided some much-needed words of encouragement at halftime to get the team motivated for a second half comeback. Harper's athletes stayed positive and as a result were able to equalize with a beautiful finish from Jose Caballero after Diego Tapia was able to spot the RM open in the corner of the 18-yard box. Caballero faked a shot with his right & placed a beautiful shot near post with his left to beat the keeper & tie the match up 1-1 ten minutes into the second half.

The rest of the half was back & forth as Harper showed resilience in the back against Riverland's fantastic attacking trio. Damian Jablonski, Edwin Perez, Mateusz Niemczyk, & Jason Rumpel all stepped up when it mattered most and were able to hold Riverland scoreless the rest of the match. Our goalkeeper, Orozco, deserves a mention once more for his heroics as he was able to record an incredible 22 saves, including three saves within his own 6-yard box to keep the score tied 1-1.

Overtime was a golden goal stipulation, meaning whichever team scored first would be the winner. Two ten-minute halves were played & few chances were created leading to another penalty shootout to decide the district champion, Harper's second penalty shootout in as many games.

First up was Riverland, as they were able to convert from the spot to go up 1-0. Harper's first penalty was converted by Arian Dizdarevic, as he was able to calmly slot the ball in the back of the net. Riverland would not convert on their second attempt as Orozco would correctly guess the placement of the penalty and make a save to the keepers lower right hand side. Harper would then convert their second attempt to go up 2-1. Arnel Dizdarevic showed a lot of confidence as he placed the ball just past the outstretched gloves of Riverland's keeper. The third penalty would find the net for both teams as Diego Tapia finished his PK bottom right, his second successful PK in as many matches. The fourth PK would be missed by both teams, leading to the decisive fifth & final penalty. Riverland would convert their fifth penalty to tie the shootout at 3-3 prior to Harper's last kick. Captain Orozco stepped up as the final PK taker, just as he did against Joliet & was able to yet again convert from the spot & win the match for his team 4-3!

Harper would thus end up winning the district championship, as well, as qualifying for the national championship in Gastonia, NC in Coach Gacanovic's first year as head coach of the program.

Coach Gacanovic had this to say when asked about the match & his team's performance:

"This team has incredible willpower & resilience. They banded together all year, especially this post season when it mattered most & they are the sole reason we are heading to nationals this season. They make my job look easy & I can't thank each of them enough individually & collectively as a whole."

Captain Orozco was asked about his thoughts & this is what he had to say:

"It was a mind-blowing game. After conceding an early goal, we fought hard to level the match & we kept the momentum high & had a few chances but were unlucky with the finish. My teammates showed composure & determination in the penalty shootout & it was a well-earned win. Looking forward to nationals with the guys!"

The Hawks will travel to Gastonia, NC, for the NJCAA National Championships, which will be played November 7-12. What an incredible season! GO HAWKS!

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#10 Diego Tapia: MID; Sophomore

#26 Jose Caballero: M/F; Freshman

#14 Arian Dizdarevic: M/F; Sophomore

#1 Ramon Orozco: GK; Sophomore

#13 Edwin Perez: MID; Sophomore

#19 Jason Rumpel: D/M; Freshman

#5 Damian Jablonski: DEF; Freshman

#16 Mateusz Niemczyk: DEF; Freshman

#17 Arnel Dizdarevic: M/F; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#10 Diego Tapia
: Sophomore
: MID

#26 Jose Caballero
: Freshman
: M/F

#14 Arian Dizdarevic
: Sophomore
: M/F

#1 Ramon Orozco
: Sophomore
: GK

#13 Edwin Perez
: Sophomore
: MID

#19 Jason Rumpel
: Freshman
: D/M

#5 Damian Jablonski
: Freshman
: DEF

#16 Mateusz Niemczyk
: Freshman
: DEF

#17 Arnel Dizdarevic
: Freshman
: M/F