ONU pressured JU in the final 10 minutes of the match and scored in the 85th minute to cut the lead to one, 2-1. Josh Ayers found the net off of a blocked shot by Judson that he put into the left corner. In the final two minutes, they took two free kicks, due to Judson fouls, and one corner kick but could not find the tying goal.
JU’s Milos Bajic scored the first goal of the game in the 5th minute when he received a cross from Gustavo Oliveira in the box. Bajic took the cross, moved left, and then sailed a shot into the top right corner of the net for a 1-0 lead. There was not much offense in the first half as JU out shot ONU, 3-2. In the 38th minute, ONU’s Vincent Mkhwanazi headed a shot towards the goal but it was picked off by JU goalie Kyle Selph. The only other shot for ONU came in the 27th minute by Cory Miller.
The offense came alive in the second half as JU took five shots and ONU followed with four. ONU’s Jose Villa took a shot in the 50th minute but it was high over the goal. Then in the 53rd and 54th minute, JU took two shots with one on goal and one high as ONU’s Andy Stembridge recorded one of his five saves. JU’s constant pressure paid off in the 66th minute when Oliveira took a pass from the Bajic brothers (Petar and Milos) into the box. Oliveira moved left to right and then nailed a shot into the top right corner to give JU a 2-0 lead. In the 82nd minute, ONU’s Roderick Fontem had a shot on goal that JU’s Selph saved.
It was a very physical match, too, for both teams as 44 fouls were called and five yellow cards were handed out. JU had 27 fouls to ONU’s 17. JU out shot ONU, 8-6, but ONU had four corner kicks to none for JU. JU's Selph had two saves and ONU's Stembridge had five saves.
With the win, JU advances to their fourth straight CCAC Tournament Championship and will try for their fourth straight championship on Tuesday against St. Xavier. The game will be played at Dawson Field on Judson University’s campus with the time still to be determined.
