KAMLOOPS – Patrick Izett put the finishing touches on what was a perfect shootout for the host Thompson Rivers WolfPack men's soccer team that edged the McMaster Marauders by a score of 2-1 in U SPORTS Men's Soccer Championship quarter-final action.
 
Jan Pirretas Glasmacher for TRU and Miles Green for McMaster scored in regulation time but it was TRU that was able to pull out the shootout victory thanks to finishes from Elijah Dos Santos, Pirretas, Marco Favaro, Josh Banton and the aforementioned Izett.

"Even after we conceded we kept on playing the way that we wanted to play," said WolfPack head coach John Antulov. "We kept on attacking on the front foot and just kept going. We had some opportunities to finish it in regular time but I'm just happy we got it done in PK's."
 
Ethan Cagalj was nothing short of heroic in the Maruaders net. The rookie goalkeeper made 13 saves in the game as time-and-time again the product of Stoney Creek, ON came up big for his team.
 
Green opened the scoring in the 26th minute. Taking a free-kick from outside the 18-yard box he was able to curl in a beautiful shot that eluded Jackson Gardner in the WolfPack net to give the Marauders the lead.
 
It took until the end of the first half for TRU to find a response. Izett sent a free-kick into a dangerous area and after the ball bounced around the 18-yard box Pirretas was in the right place at the right time to bury the loose ball.
 
While Cagalj made five saves in the second half it was defender Ahmad Mansour who came up with the most impressive stop. In the 70th minute Izett let a rocket of a shot go that beat Cagalj but the McMaster defender stood his ground on the goalline and deflected the ball away.
 
After a flurry of WolfPack chances in extra time came to nothing, the two teams headed to a penalty shootout. All five WolfPack shooters buried their chances while goalie Jackson Gardner came up with a big stop to secure the victory for TRU.
 
With the win, TRU advances to the national semifinal game at 7:30 p.m. PT Friday night where they will play the winner of the Cape Breton Capers UQTR Patriotes quarter-final. McMaster meanwhile, moves to the consolation round where they will face the loser of that CBU, UQTR match at 1:30 p.m. PT.

 
Nike Top Performers
 
-           TRU: Elijah Dos Santos
-           MAC: Miles Green