SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. – It was heartbreak at the SMWC Soccer Complex on Wednesday afternoon as the
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College men's soccer team saw its season end in dramatic fashion, falling to
Midway University on penalty kicks, 5-4, after a 1-1 draw in the
River States Conference Tournament Quarterfinals.
Midway (7-9-3) jumped ahead early when
Lucas Perotte found the back of the net in the fifth minute to give the Eagles a quick 1-0 lead. The Pomeroys (7-10-2), however, seized control of the match soon after, outshooting Midway
26-13 and applying constant pressure throughout the second half.
The equalizer came in the
77th minute, when
Jaime Gayol Pertierra finished off a beautiful setup from
Franco Mauri, firing a shot past the keeper to tie the game at 1-1. SMWC created multiple opportunities down the stretch, registering
12 shots on goal to Midway's five, but couldn't convert the go-ahead strike through two overtime periods.
In the penalty shootout, the two sides traded successful kicks through the first four frames.
Goalkeeper Harry Jackson made a pivotal save in the fourth round to keep the Pomeroys alive. With the shootout tied 4-4 and heading into an extra frame, SMWC's attempt sailed wide before Midway buried the clinching kick to advance to the RSC Semifinals.
Jackson finished the afternoon with
four saves in 110 minutes of play, anchoring a resilient defensive effort that limited Midway to just five shots on goal. On the opposite end, Midway's
Landon Sorrell stood tall with
11 saves against the Pomeroys' relentless attack.
Leading the SMWC offense were
Gayol Pertierra (5 shots, 2 on goal, 1 goal),
Mauri (3 shots, 3 on goal, 1 assist), and
Andoni Ybanez (6 shots).
Ethan Johnson,
Ivan Gelado Chavala, and
Marc Valderrama also contributed quality chances as SMWC finished with a commanding 9-4 edge in corner kicks.
Under
head coach Ron Kiernicki, the Pomeroys closed out a competitive 2025 campaign that showcased strong development and back-to-back River States Conference Tournament appearances.
