Air Force Falls in NCAA Thriller, 2-1

MATTHEWS, NC - The clock struck midnight on Air Force's Cinderella run as the Falcons fell to sixth-seed Seton Hall, 2-1, Sunday afternoon at the SportsPlex. The 2020-21 Western Athletic Conference champions finalize the campaign at 6-5-2 while the Pirates improve to 10-1-4 as they prepare to take on Virginia Tech in the Sweet 16.

"I couldn't be more proud of the men and their response in the second half," head coach Doug Hill said. "They showed tremendous tenacity and grit in outworking the other team. Everyone on the team left every ounce of themselves on the pitch, especially our seniors Max Sole and Reece Cooke, they had their best game of the season."

"We worked so hard and there wasn't much more we could do as far as effort," Hill continued. "I told the men after the game that if anyone felt they had a bad game, then they can hang their head, and I know our guys will walk away from this with their heads high. We really left it all out on the pitch. Our veteran players really set the bar high for our younger guys, so it's going to be an exciting time for Air Force soccer as we see a motivated younger group step up to continue to push that bar of excellence."

Air Force's defense was put to task early on as the Falcons struggled to get the ball into their attacking third, spending the majority of the first half defending against an aggressive Pirates team who took nine shots and five corners in the first 45.

Tristan Trager took a skilled attempt on goal in the 35^th minute, shaking a pair of Seton Hall defenders and sending a bending rocket just over the cross bar. Albeit Air Force took just two shots on target in the first half, the shots were more quality than those of their counterparts.

The Pirates continued the aggression into the second half, putting shots on target in the 53rd, 55th and 57th minutes, but Likewise was there to make the saves with the assistance of London Aghedo.

Air Force saw a spark of offense in the 60th minute as Trager headed a ball into the goal but ball was called out just before the service, canceling the strike.

Moments later, Seton Hall's James Boot capitalized on a set piece from just outside the 18-yard box, sending in a direct free kick that found nylon in the 64^th minute.

Air Force refused to go quietly, pressing their offense on a weary Seton Hall defense. The Falcons were ignited in the 75^th minute as Bussey pressed into the box and serviced Trager who chipped the ball over Andreas Nota's reach for the equalizer.

After an intense 12 minutes of offensive action from both squads, Seton Hall upped the ante with a goal in the 89th minute as CJ Tibbling beat two Falcon defenders to finish over the reach of Kainoa Likewise. With time ticking away, the Falcons put forth maximum effort in trying to find and equalizing opportunity but ran out of real estate on the clock.

Reece Cooke, Jared Dove and London Aghedo logged 90 minutes of action on the pitch alongside Kainoa Likewise who recorded six saves in goal. Trager led the offense with three shots and a goal.

The Falcons will put the final touches on the season as they announce annual award winners at the team banquet this Spring.

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Team Stats

Tristan Trager

Elijah Bussey

Giuliano Daniel

Thaddaeus Dewing

Players Mentioned

London Aghedo

Reece Cooke

Jared Dove

Kainoa Likewise

Max Sole

Tristan Trager

Players Mentioned

London Aghedo

Reece Cooke

Jared Dove

Kainoa Likewise

Max Sole

Tristan Trager

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