THE RUNDOWN
The Patriots fell in a 4-5 penalty kick defeat to St. Mary's in the Lone Star Conference Semifinals. In an amazing display of resilience, DBU fought tooth and nail with the Rattlers and pushed the game into a penalty shootout, with a spot in the conference championship on the line. Goals from Avery Brazzell and Jack Golden helped the Patriots back through regulation and two overtime periods, challenging the Rattlers every step of the way in a hard-fought contest Friday night in San Antonio, Texas.
The LSC semifinal match kicked off with an early chance for the Patriots as they wasted no time in testing the St. Mary's defense. Just a minute in, Gavyn Rosales took a shot on goal, but the Rattlers' goalkeeper made a solid save to deny him. DBU constantly searched for an opportunity to break the deadlock and their persistence paid off in the 17th minute. Avery Brazzell received a long ball from Evan Lupo, seized the opportunity, and slotted it past the Rattlers' defense with a right-footed shot into the back of the net to give the Patriots a 1-0 lead. DBU continued to apply pressure over the next 10 minutes, but the Rattlers responded with a surge of their own. As the half progressed, the Rattlers started to dictate play, finishing the first 45 minutes with 10 shots. Despite their efforts, the Patriots held firm, and the half ended with DBU in front 1-0.
In the second half of the match, the Rattlers came back into the game pushing hard and their persistence paid off in the 59th minute when they equalized after a series of dangerous chances. A well-timed shot from close range leveled the score at 1-1, much to the delight of their fans. However, the Patriots quickly responded and regained the lead in the 78th minute. Avery Brazzell delivered a pinpoint assist to Jack Golden, who expertly slotted the ball home to put the Patriots back on top, 2-1. St. Mary's refused to back down, and in the 83rd minute, they found another equalizer, once again drawing level at 2-2 with just minutes to go in regular time. With the score tied, the match headed into overtime, with both teams locked in a tense 2-2 draw. With the clock ticking down and no clear winner in sight, the match was forced into overtime. The first 10-minute extra period saw both sides fight desperately to find a winner, but neither could break through, keeping the match deadlocked at 2-2 as the teams switched sides for the second overtime session. As the match entered its second overtime period, it was clear that both teams were pushing hard for the victory. In a pivotal moment, STMU was penalized with a yellow card after a foul just outside their box, giving DBU a crucial free kick in a dangerous position. Rosales stood over the ball, ready to take the shot that could potentially win the game for the Patriots.
However, St. Mary's defense held firm keeping the score, 2-2. With the clock winding down and neither side able to break the deadlock, the match moved into a penalty shootout to determine the winner. As the match headed into the penalty shootout, DBU faced immense pressure. The first few rounds were clinical, with both teams making their shots. However, the Patriots' hopes of advancing to the Lone Star Conference championship were broken as St. Mary's goalkeeper denied Rosales' attempt. With that, the shootout concluded with DBU falling just short, 4-5.
FOUR THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Midwestern State advanced to its fourth consecutive LSC Championship.
- Patrick Banich made his first career playoff start and registered four saves.
- The match saw 15 shots from DBU with eight on goal. Avery Brazzell dominated the Patriot's offense putting up four shots on the pitch. Jack Golden and Leo Larson put up three shots each and Gavyn Rosales registered two shots of his own. Evan Lupo, Hunter Dierlam and Bruno Correa also contributed a shot.
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Avery Brazzell and
Hunter Dierlam were named to the 2024 Lone Star Conference All-Tournament Team.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
4- Four DBU players played all 110 minutes on the pitch including,
Jack Golden,
Evan Lupo,
Hunter Dierlam and
Patrick Banich.
5- Avery Brazzell scored his fifth goal of the season and registered his first assist.
23-15- The Patriots reached penalty kicks against St. Mary's despite being outshot 23-15.
