PALOS HILLS, ILL. - Three days after overcoming a one-goal deficit to force overtime and winning with a golden goal to advance in the Region 4 Division II Tournament, the Madison College men's soccer team learned how the other side felt, albeit with a little extra punch to the gut. Sunday's quarterfinal against top-seeded Moraine Valley Community College was nearly over when the Cyclones beat the buzzer in regulation to force overtime, and then capitalized on the momentum with a golden goal shortly after for a dramatic 2-1 win to over the #9-seeded WolfPack. The win sends MVCC to the semifinals against #4-seeded Elgin Community College on Wednesday, while also giving them a 4-0 lead in the all-time series that now features a pair of 2-1 decisions in 2024.

Madison College found themselves on the defensive for most of the first half as Moraine Valley Community College (11-1-2) registered five shots in the first 15 minutes before the WolfPack got their first look at the net. As the action cooled, the Pack missed on two more shots in the 23' and 28', while the Cyclones saw a header go high in the 27' of a first half that finished even at 0-0. 

The second half saw Madison College attempt their first shot on goal when freshman Jacob Unger was denied by the MVCC goalkeeper in the 47', and sophomore Carter Uhlmann went high on a shot in the following minute. Three more WolfPack shots in between the 57' and the 60' failed to find the net, and then first year goalkeeper Victor Dalum came up with a huge save on a penalty kick in the 63' to preserve the scoreless tie.

With the intensity growing by the minute, Madison College finally broke through with a 79' goal from freshman forward Hudson Nielsen. First year midfielder Rodrigo Lasso gained control of the ball along the left sideline and worked his way through traffic before delivering a lead pass into the penalty box. A sliding attempt by a MVCC defender to redirect the ball came up empty, leaving Nielsen with a one-on-one against the goalkeeper. As the keeper charged towards Nielsen, the Huntley, Illinois, native sent a shot towards the crossbar and it deflected back down and into the goal. The scoring strike tied Nielsen for the team-lead with ten on the season, while Lasso increased his lead with assist number nine. 



Madison College was working hard to hold the 1-0 lead and run out the remaining time on the clock when the Cyclones found control outside the penalty box with less than ten seconds remaining. A pass towards the left post was then kicked back to the right side of the net by Michal Gacek and past Dalum as time expired. The 90' equalizer sent the to an extra session tied 1-1. 

As the overtime session got underway, the WolfPack failed to clear the ball from their defensive zone and a bouncing ball back into the penalty box resulted in a game-winning goal by Fernando Alvarez just 26 seconds in. The ball narrowly squeezed between the right post and a diving Dalum.

The match was very tight statistically, with Madison College recording an 11-10 lead in total shots and a 5-4 edge in shots on goal. Both teams finished with three corner kicks. 

Dalum was credited with two saves and two goals allowed, while five different players posted a shot on goal for the WolfPack.

Madison College finishes the season with a 10-5-2 record.



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