Box Score Man of the Match - Jesse DiLuzio
Atlanta, GA – Centre men's soccer defeated Millsaps, 2-1, in the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) semifinal on Friday afternoon at Oglethorpe.
The Colonels improve to 12-4-2 overall and advance to the championship round on Sunday for the second season in a row.
Centre dominated from the opening whistle, registering 11 shots – including eight on goal – in the opening frame.
In the 19th minute senior Noah Wesley-Chevalier (Cincinnati, Ohio.) tallied his 9th goal of the season, giving the Colonels an early 1-0 advantage.
Classmate Jesse DiLuzio (North Woodmere, N.Y.) scored in the 34th minute off of a Carson Hart (Hickory, N.C.) assist, extending the Colonels lead to 2-0.
Both teams remained deadlocked throughout the remainder of the first half. Despite the constant offensive pressure by Centre, Millsaps continued to make play after play in the defensive zone.
The Majors finally broke through in the 67th minute when sophomore Gabriel Ryce found the back of the net.
Centre continued to play tough defense throughout the remainder of the second half by pushing the Millsaps attackers to the sidelines and crowding the 18-yard box.
The Colonels finished the day with 18 shots – 11 on goal – while Millsaps only managed 13 shots, with three on goal, the entire match.
Centre advances to the Championship match against either Berry or Oglethorpe on Sunday.
