Man of the Match - Noah Wesley-Chevalier

Atlanta, Ga.- Centre men's soccer fell to Southern Athletic Association (SAA) rival Oglethorpe, 2-1, in the SAA Championship on Sunday afternoon.

The Colonels finish their season with a 12-5-2 recond, while the Stormy Petrels improve to 16-2-1 and claim the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The Stormy Petrels got off to a fast start, continually pushing possessions deep into the Colonels defense end with precision passing. In the 11th minute, junior Ryan Marcano found the back of the net off of a Gabriel Alvarez helper, giving Oglethorpe a 1-0 lead.

Junior Devon Patterson doubled the Stormy Petrels' lead in the 31st minute. Topher Marshall assisted on the play.

Neither team could gain any momentum until midway through the second half when senior Noah Wesley-Chevalier (Cincinnati, Ohio) beat the Oglethorpe goalkeeper in the 70th minute on a penalty kick, cutting the deficit in half.

The Colonels were unable to capitalize on chances in the offensive zone in the remaining 20 minutes of play.

Centre (11 shots-8 on goal) and Oglethorpe (12 shots-5 on goal) were nearly identical in the box score. The Colonels finished with six corners to the Stormy Petrels' five.

Bailey Spade (Frankfort, Ky.) finished with three saves for Centre.