#HLMSOC Championship Scoreboard (Nov. 12):
(2) Oakland 1, (4) Cleveland State 0 (OT)
(6) Wright State 2, (1) UIC 1
CHICAGO -- For the third consecutive Horizon League soccer championship, Oakland and Wright State will meet to decide the conference title. For the second straight year, the Golden Grizzlies and Raiders will square off for the men's title, as the pair advance with victories on Thursday night at Flames Field from the campus of UIC.
In 2014, it was Oakland knocking off Wright State, 2-1, in the title match. Just a week ago, the Golden Grizzlies women defeated Wright State, 1-0, to earn the League's automatic bid.
The pair will meet on Saturday, Nov. 14, with the League's automatic bid to the 2015 NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament on the line. Coverage will be live on ESPN3, beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
Oakland 1, Cleveland State 0 (OT)
Matt Rickard scored the game-winning golden goal in overtime off a corner kick feed from Matt Dudley sending No. 2 Oakland back to the Horizon League title game with a 1-0 win over No. 4 Cleveland State. Eliott Tarney was solid in goal recording his sixth shutout of the season making three saves.
Without Jake Lagania (illness) for the first time in 37 games, the Vikings were forced to search for options elsewhere. Sylvester Messiah earned the start in his place. For the seventh time in the last eight games, the Cleveland State defense held the opposition scoreless in regulation.
Both defenses controlled the contest, with quality scoring chances tough to come by on both sides for much of the contest.
In overtime, a red card in the 95th minute put Cleveland State a man down for the remainder of the conest. Just under three minutes later, Oakland would capitalize.
Earning a corner kick, Dudley sent a low ball into the box, where it found Rickard and beat Aleksandar Drobac and sent Oakland into its second consecutive League championship game.
Wright State 2, UIC 1
For the second consecutive year and third time in the last five seasons, Wright State will play in the Horizon League Championship match as the Raiders defeated No. 1 seed and host UIC 2-1.
WSU grabbed the early lead at the 28:29 mark as sophomore forward Jalim Bayo scored his second goal of the season. Bayo received a pass to the left side from junior midfielder Zach Zwiesler, dribbled around a defender and connected on a shot to the far side of the goal. It was the first assist of the year for Zwiesler.
Down at the half, UIC responded almost immediately, as Joel Leon's shot from 25 yards out froze WSU goalkeeper Tyler Blackmer. Off an Andrew Putna goal kick, Leon collected the ball, spinning and shooting on his second touch, freezing Blackmer as the ball found the back of the net.
The half would be a back-and-forth affair, with both teams having quality chances at the go-ahead goal. However, in the 66th minute, Eric Lynch was fouled in the box as he closed in on Putna. Peguy Ngatcha stepped to the spot and went right side on the kick to tally the game-winner at the 65:56 mark. The goal was the team-leading seventh goal of the season for Ngatcha, who earlier this week was named First Team All-Horizon League.
Junior goalkeeper Tyler Blackmer recorded five saves on the night and allowed just the one goal despite the Flames outshooting the Raiders 14-11.
