HANCOCK, Mich. (November 3, 2018) – It was a long, hard-fought night for the SUNY Delhi men's soccer team in their ACAA semifinals match Saturday, which ended in a double-overtime victory over Pine Manor to advance to the conference championship. Tied at 1-1 in the 107th minute, sophomore Brody Rettle put the evening to rest as his free kick goal drove Delhi to its first-ever NCAA Division III league finals. Head coach Brian Mitko's team, now with ten straight wins for a league-best 13-2 record, will face Thomas More in the ACAA Championship on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
Both teams' initial scores came in the first half. Alhasane Sako wasted no time, as his league-best 15th goal of the year, assisted by Rettle, gave the Broncos an early one-goal lead at 4:18. The Gators struck near the end of the half at 35:48, when Ellis Woods buried the equalizer from an assist by Andree Hernandez.
The match stayed scoreless for over the next 70 minutes. Though Pine Manor outshot Delhi, 31-19, and 13-9 in shots on goal, it was the work of the Broncos defense that did not allow another score for the rest of the night. Goalkeeper Marcos Andrino kept the Gators hungry, putting on a season-best 12-save performance. While Pine Manor held a steady advantage in shots during regulation, 28-11 to be exact, the Broncos swung the pendulum in extra time, outshooting Pine Manor, 8-3. The eighth and final of both overtime periods proved to be the dagger, as Rettle drilled a free kick to give Delhi an ACAA Finals berth at the 106:56 mark.
Andrino's work in goal extended his SUNY Delhi career one more game, while earning himself a ten-win season at 10-1. Sako notched his league-best scoring totals to 33 points on 15 goals and three assists. Rettle crossed the 30-point plateau with 31 on 11 goals and nine assists, now ranking first in the ACAA in assists and second in both points and goals.
Finals opponent Thomas More defeated Finlandia earlier Saturday, 2-1, in their semifinals contest, and enter tomorrow's matchup with a 6-11-2 record. With 13 wins, the Broncos have amassed their highest season win total since 2008.
