INDIANAPOLIS -- It was deja vu at the Butler Bowl, where No. 6 Butler squared off with Green Bay to decide the Horizon League's automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament for the second straight year. And once again, the match turned to penalty kicks; however, whereas last season Green Bay emerged in penalties, it was Butler who took the crown, 3-2, in penalty kicks.
Fabian Knopfler stopped three penalties in the final session to lift Butler (16-0-3) to the win; for the match, Knopfler turned aside four Green Bay (13-5-2) shots in the first 110 minutes of play.
After David Prochazka and Tony Walls converted penalties for the Phoenix, JC Banks struck the right post before Knopfler knocked down attempts from David Bernhardsson and Scott Raymonds to clinch the win after Butler took a 3-2 lead on the strength of goals from Ben Sippola, Austin Oldham and Julian Cardona.
For most of regulation, it appeared as if the match would not require extra time, but Bernhardsson knotted the contest with 1:54 remaining, converting a centering pass from JC Banks for his third goal of the season.
The goal equalized the match after Oldham gave Butler the lead in the 36th minute, drilling a low shot to the right of Green Bay goalkeeper Ryan Wehking after Kyle Pateros found him from 15 yards at the top of the box. putting the Bulldogs up, 1-0. The goal was the fifth of the year for Oldham, who earned All-Tournament Team honors after recording a goal and an assist in the two games.
The physical match featured seven yellow cards, while 40 fouls were handed out.
Butler enters the NCAA Tournament as the second team in Horizon League history to reach the tournament without a loss; the 1990 Evansville Aces went into the tournament at 22-0-2, reaching the national semifinals; with the program's fifth tournament title, Butler matches Evansville's League record.
Joining Oldham on the All-Tournament Team from Butler were Knopfler, Matt Hedges, Cardona and Ben Sippola. Sippola, who converted the game-winning penalty in Friday's semifinal, was named the Tournament's MVP.
Green Bay placed Banks, Walls and Prochazka on the All-Tournament Team; winners of nine straight matches before this afternoon, the Phoenix will await their NCAA Tournament fate, holding a 13-4-2 mark.
Butler, entering the week at No. 11 in the RPI, will see if an undefeated mark earns them a national seed and hosting duties in the NCAA Tournament. The full 2010 NCAA Men's Tournament bracket will be revealed on ESPNU at 4:30 p.m. ET on Monday.
