SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. — History was made at McMahon Field on Wednesday afternoon as Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College earned its first River States Conference Men's Soccer Tournament victory in program history, defeating Indiana University East 4-1 in the opening round of the 2026 conference tournament.
The milestone victory sends the Pomeroys (7-8-3) into the RSC Tournament semifinals for the first time, where they will travel to face the University of Rio Grande (Ohio) on Saturday.
Ivan Gelado Chavala delivered a standout performance with one goal and two assists, contributing to three of SMWC's four goals.
Marc Valderrama,
Jacobo Galvez and
Nikolas Kellner also found the back of the net as the Pomeroys scored three second-half goals to secure the historic postseason win.
SMWC controlled the tempo from the opening whistle, outshooting IU East 22-7 and holding a commanding 12-2 advantage in shots on goal.
The Pomeroys began creating opportunities early, with Gelado Chavala testing IU East goalkeeper Elijah Williamson in the 14th minute. Valderrama nearly broke through three minutes later, striking the crossbar in the 17th minute as SMWC continued applying pressure.
The breakthrough finally came at the 20:37 mark when Valderrama converted a scoring opportunity off an assist from
Franco Mauri, putting SMWC ahead 1-0.
The Pomeroys continued generating chances throughout the remainder of the opening half.
Jacob Quintana forced a save in the 33rd minute, while Galvez and Gelado Chavala each tested Williamson before halftime.
SMWC entered the break with a 1-0 advantage after producing 10 shots and five corner kicks while holding the Red Wolves to just two first-half attempts.
The Pomeroys wasted little time taking control of the match following the intermission.
Just 73 seconds into the second half, Galvez doubled the advantage with a goal at the 46:13 mark. Gelado Chavala and Andres Gomes combined to provide the assists, giving SMWC a 2-0 lead.
The offensive pressure continued as Galvez generated additional chances and Gelado Chavala forced another Williamson save in the 56th minute.
In the 60th minute, Gelado Chavala delivered his own finishing touch, converting a scoring opportunity off an assist from
Vinicius Steger Pires at the 59:26 mark to extend the Pomeroys' lead to 3-0.
SMWC remained aggressive, with Galvez nearly adding another goal in the 67th minute before Williamson turned away his header.
Kellner provided the finishing blow in the 75th minute. The reserve midfielder capitalized on Gelado Chavala's second assist of the afternoon, scoring at the 74:05 mark to give the Pomeroys a commanding 4-0 advantage.
IU East (6-7-3) answered one minute later when Jaiden Earls converted a penalty kick at the 75:05 mark, but the Red Wolves were unable to mount a comeback.
Kellner nearly added another goal in the closing minutes, forcing Williamson into one final save in the 85th minute as SMWC closed out its historic 4-1 victory.
Gelado Chavala paced the Pomeroys with four shots, all on goal, in addition to his goal and two assists. Galvez led SMWC with six total shots, including three on target, while Valderrama contributed the opening goal on three attempts.
Kellner made an immediate impact off the bench, finishing with a goal on two shots, both on target. Mauri, Gomes and Steger Pires each recorded an assist.
SMWC goalkeeper
Harry Jackson played the full 90 minutes, recording one save while allowing only a penalty-kick goal. The Pomeroys' defensive unit limited IU East to seven shots and just one corner kick.
Williamson collected eight saves for the Red Wolves.
Wednesday's result marks another milestone for the SMWC men's soccer program, which now adds its first RSC Tournament victory to its history while continuing its pursuit of a conference championship.
The Pomeroys will look to extend their postseason run Saturday, Nov. 7, when they travel to Rio Grande, Ohio, to face the University of Rio Grande in the RSC Tournament semifinals. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
The winner will advance to the River States Conference Tournament championship match.
Next Game: Saturday, Nov. 7 — SMWC at University of Rio Grande (Ohio), 1 p.m. ET — RSC Tournament Semifinals, Rio Grande, Ohio.
