BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. - Omar Guzman's rebound header in the second half leveled Friday's CCAC Men's Soccer Tournament quarterfinal match between fourth-seeded Roosevelt and fifth-seeded St. Ambrose at Toyota Park, but the Lakers couldn't break the tie and the Bees' Shaquille Jones scored the game-winning goal with less than six minutes left in the second overtime to end the defending CCAC champions' quest for a second tourney crown.
Roosevelt finished the campaign with an 11-6-2 record.
The Bees (9-9-1) advance to face CCAC regular season champion Olivet Nazarene in a semifinal contest.
St. Ambrose struck first when Travis Walsh found Sam Antsey near the top of the box, and the latter unleashed a shot that slipped underneath the crossbar and past the outstretched arm of keeper Jesus Velasco in the 27th minute.
The score stayed that way until Evan Trychta's run up the left side in the 49th minute allowed him to serve in a beautiful ball across the box to the far post and the eventual possession of Guzman, who headed a shot that was turned away by keeper Tom Greensall. Fortunately for the Lakers, the ball caromed back to Guzman's noggin for another quick-strike headball attempt that eluded Greensall for the equalizer.
Guzman's goal gave the Lakers momentum, as the Green and White push forward escalated more than ever and produced a bevy of quality chances throughout the final period of regulation. Trychta had a near-post header chance that went just high for one of the more memorable and dangerous opportunities.
The Lakers also made a variety of strong defensive plays, including a team save by Alex Terrazas on a slow-rolling ball toward goal that the senior raced to clear with his boot successfully before the sphere crossed the line.
St. Ambrose also had a team save when a Bee defender kicked away a slow ball by Guzman toward the face of goal with Greensall out of the frame.
With both teams' seasons on the line, the atmosphere was tense and the competition fierce as each side battled in the game's late stages to advance in the tournament and found themselves still deadlocked after 100 minutes of play.
In the second OT, Walsh was able to send a ball forward that caught the Roosevelt backline out of a solid position, and Jones made a sprint up the left side that allowed him a 1v1 look against Velasco. Jones fired a shot to the far post, and unfortunately the Lakers were unable to get back in support of their keeper as the ball made it just within the right post to give the Bees' the golden goal and conclude Roosevelt's title defense in difficult fashion.
Friday marked the final contest for 11 of Roosevelt's seniors, including four-year stalwarts and captains Terrazas and Luis Ortiz along with original Laker Leo Rodriguez, the final remaining player from head coach Graham Brennan's first class, and three-year standout Trychta, last year's CCAC Player of the Year and an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American.
