SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – No. 21 Notre Dame College and Wheeling Jesuit University squared off in a Mountain East Conference Semifinal game on a rainy Wednesday afternoon, on Mueller Field. The contest was scoreless after 110 minutes, before WJU defeated the Falcons in penalty kicks.

Wheeling Jesuit, the third seed in the MEC tournament, was very aggressive on offense, early in the match. Less than two minutes into the game, Pedro Crespo took a shot for the Cardinals that bounced off the crossbar. In the 4th minute, Crespo had another good look at the goal, but junior Daniele De Angelis brought down the save. Finally, in the 10th minute, Crespo put a corner kick into the box that was headed by Teavon Spencer, but De Angelis jumped and punched the ball over the crossbar.

NDC, the second seed in the tournament, had just one shot-on-goal in the first half, which was a header by junior Lewis Norvock that was saved by Josh Zimmerman.

The defenses did not give an inch in the second half. Neither team had a shot-on-goal, although Norvock had another chance for a header off of a corner kick. However, the shot was high.

Wheeling Jesuit took the only shot in the first overtime period, but the Falcons nearly won the game in the second overtime period. Favero had a shot that was saved by Zimmerman in the 102nd minute. In the 108th minute, the Falcons had an opportunity to take two or three shots in front of goal, but Wheeling Jesuit's defense was in perfect position to block any opportunity. Senior Sam Vail did fire one shot from close range, which was slowed by a Cardinal defender and then saved by Zimmerman, as he fell on the ball.

For the first time this season, the Falcons were tied with a team after 110 minutes of regulation and overtime. The game went into penalty kicks to determine who would play in the Mountain East Conference Championship game.

Both teams connected on their first two kicks, before Zimmerman guessed correctly on senior Reece Daly's shot and knocked the ball away. WJU made their next three shots, and although NDC converted on their next two kicks, the Cardinals walked away with the 5-4 advantage and a ticket to play on Sunday.

The two teams dealt with some adversity from the beginning. Wheeling Jesuit did not have their leading goal scorer Martin Minuzzi, on the field. All-MEC First Team selection junior Paolo Termine did not play for the Falcons. MEC Freshman of the Year Nicholas Felician went down with an injury before halftime and then the Cardinals' Pedro Crespo had to be carried off the field with a leg injury, later in the game.

De Angelis saved two shots for the Falcons, while Zimmerman hauled in three saves, prior to penalty kicks.