INDIANAPOLIS – In the opening round of the #HLMSOC Championship, the No. 3 seed IUPUI Jaguars defeated No. 6 seeded Wright State, 1-0, Sunday afternoon (Nov. 5) to move onto the tournament semifinals.

"It was a phenomenal opportunity to host a quarterfinal match on our campus and it's another great step in the right direction for the program (to play in) two semifinals in a row," exclaimed head coach Sid van Druenen following his team's victory. "We struggled to get on the ball (in the first half) and played with a lack of confidence, but we got a nice goal with Kenshiro's first of the year and a nice assist from Jos. At the end the best team won, and the best team moves on."

Wright State (4-9-5, 3-4-2 HL) controlled the ball in the opening 45, maintaining almost 60 percent of the possession. The visitors had eight shots compared to three for the hosts and six corners while the Jags didn't take a corner in the first half. Of the eight shots three were on target, forcing Lucas Morefield to come up with three stops, including an impressive diving save just before the break.

Against the run of play, IUPUI (7-6-5, 4-2-3 HL) got a boost just before half time, scoring in the 41^st minute on the team's second shot of the match. Josemir Gomez started the attack with a brilliant move that split two defenders. The Indy native, who recently received a First Team All-League nod, found teammate Kenshiro Yamaguchi who was left unmarked on the far side of the field. The transfer calmly slotted the ball inside the near post and passed Raider goalkeeper Alessandro Malterer for his first goal on his very first shot as a Jag.

Following the break, the hosts came out much more aggressive, pressing high and forcing giveaways. The Jags controlled the ball in the first ten-plus minutes of play to start the second half, searching for a second goal that would surely put the match out of reach. Despite having the ball in the offensive third for extended periods of time, leading to two corner kicks and some half-chances, the Raiders weathered the storm and settled into the half.

Although Wright State did well to not give up a second goal, they were still in need of a tally to get back into the game. There was a plethora of scoring opportunities for the visitors, who recorded 15 shots with six on goal in the second stanza. Morefield was again outstanding, setting a new season high with nine stops. The graduate student also was crucial on corner and free kicks, coming out to grab the ball on multiple occasions.

"It was nice to be at home and grind out (a victory)," stated Morefield after his fourth clean sheet of the season. "(Wright State) came into this tournament with nothing to lose and they came at us with everything. They were very direct and went at goal, catching us on our back foot a couple times. It was hectic, but we earned a tough result."

With the win, IUPUI advances to the #HLMSOC semifinal match against Green Bay, which will take place on Thursday (Nov. 9) at 4:00 p.m. in Rochester, Michigan, the host site for the final two rounds. The game, along with the other semifinal and the final on Saturday (Nov. 11) will be streamed on ESPN+.

"Losing the final last year is still very engraved in these guys' minds. I think everybody is a little disappointed that we didn't finish higher in the league and that we kind of dropped the intensity and the quality a little bit towards the end. I think (the guys) are focused. I think they're excited. We have an opportunity to play a team that beat us two weeks ago, so I think they're going to be very pumped when Thursday comes around," concluded van Druenen.