Goshen, IN — The way the regular-season Mid-Central Conference cookie crumbled wasn’t exactly ideal for the Goshen College men’s soccer team.

It didn’t seem to matter.

Forced to play the same University of St. Francis team it had just beaten seven days earlier, the 2005 Mid-Central Conference Co-Champion Leafs took down the Cougars by a 2-0 score in the first round of the MCC Tournament Saturday night, staying alive in vying for an invitational to NAIA regional competition. After an ironic twist of fate placed the teams in each other’s path following Goshen’s 2-1 win in Fort Wayne last Saturday (click here for article) — Goshen was awarded the league’s second-seed and St. Francis the seventh-seed due to tie-breaking procedures — the Leafs proved they were the dominant team Saturday night: A host of scoring opportunities helped Goshen to its 2-0 win, while St. Francis’ chances were few and far between.

“I really didn’t know what to expect out of St. Francis just because we beat them a week ago,” said Tavi Mounsithiraj, Goshen head coach. “I told our team that we needed to give them respect and that they would come ready to play, which they did. Our guys responded well, though, and were able to get the result we wanted.”

Wins are now imperative for a Goshen (14-1-2, 6-1-1) team that, despite winning a share of its first MCC Championship since the 1990 season, still needs further success to ensure a bid to NAIA Region VIII competition. Since only the MCC regular-season and conference tournament champion teams receive bids to NAIA regional play — Bethel College claimed the former due to head-to-head competition with Goshen — the Leafs need to either win the MCC Tournament or advance to the championship game (if Bethel wins the post-season tournament, the runner-up claims the second regional bid) to continue its run into the post-season.

That pressure was not evident for Goshen Saturday night, as the team appeared poised and prepared from the opening tap. After an initial 45 minutes that yielded a scoreless half, Mounsithiraj said his team was not displeased.

“I told our guys that they were playing well,” Mounsithiraj said of his halftime discussion. “Both teams created a few chances (in the first half) but neither was able to score. We needed to continue to keep possession of the ball and attack whenever space was available. Our defensive team needed to continue to play hard and give our offensive team chances. Fortunately, we were able to do both.”

Goshen was able to take advantage of a free kick near the midfield line 15 minutes into the second period, as junior Eric Bixler sent a beautiful touch over the heads of the extended St. Francis defense. Junior Joel Miller was again in the right place at the right time, outrunning the Cougars’ defense before heading in the one-hopped touch from Bixler, giving Goshen a 1-0 lead and sending the student-body crowd into an uproar.

“We scored that goal on a set play that we had been working on all season, and how it paid off,” Mounsithiraj said. “With a lot of time still on the clock after that score, we needed to continue to play hard and look for a shut-out. We wanted to slow the pace down and play smart with a lead. I think once we got the advantage we really started to play with more confidence.”

As the focus shifted to the Leafs’ defense, the unit responded. A more frantic St. Francis team tried to get more pushes toward the Goshen net, but Mounsithiraj’s back line was solid. Junior Craig Welscott would eventually record his eighth shut-out of the season in goal, getting help from Miller, classmates Adam Yoder and Jared Price and freshman Rusty Emery. Emery’s play was a highlight for Mounsithiraj, as the first-year defender filled in for senior James Graber, who was moved to the midfield position after injuries sidelined sophomore Matt Yoder for much of the contest and junior Jesse Woodworth for the entirety.

“Rusty stepped into a starting position and played solidly given the circumstances and magnitude of the match,” Mounsithiraj said. “James Graber stepped up big for us playing the midfield position. He was fantastic running the play for us in the middle.”

Graber was rewarded for his efforts with eight minutes remaining in the match, when freshman Raad Qumsieh tracked down a loose ball and was headed straight for the Cougars’ goal at a 45-degree angle. Instead of taking the shot — which all the remaining St. Francis defenders were apparently expecting — Qumsieh unselfishly slipped the ball to Graber in the middle of the box, who tapped in a simple score to double the Leafs’ lead. It was all the insurance the team needed.

“This was a very good result for us,” Mounsithiraj said. “We worked really hard for this and now we have the opportunity to move on to the semi-final. We’ll have to again play our best match to keep moving on. It’s the most fun time of the season for us.”

Goshen will next face third-seeded Marian College, a team that dispatched Spring Arbor University 1-0 on Saturday. Goshen tied the Knights 1-1 in Indianapolis on Oct. 18, a result that ultimately kept the Leafs from an outright MCC Championship and the regular-season automatic berth to regional play. Goshen will get another crack at Marian Wednesday night at the Goshen College Soccer Complex in the one of the touranment’s semi-final matches (Bethel will host Indiana Wesleyan University in the other). Match time is set for 7 p.m.

Goshen College Student Life Ticket Purchase Continues: In a continued effort to thank the student-body for its support of Leafs’ soccer throughout the season, the Goshen College student life department will again purchase tickets for the first 100 students in the gate Wednesday night. Gates open at 6 p.m. for general public; 6:30 p.m. for student-life ticket purchase line. All other students must pay the MCC Tournament-mandated $2 admission. Adult tickets are $4 apiece.