York, Neb.— Lucas Meneses scored with 2:22 remaining in regulation to lift the University of Saint Mary to a 1-0 KCAC Quarterfinal victory over the York University Panthers on Wednesday, November 4, in York, Nebraska.

Goalkeeper Xavier Ezell helped the Spires navigate York's early chances, saving Hulme's shot at 8:46 and denying Pablot at 14:44. Between those stops, Aaron Jackson put a shot on target at 9:47 that York stopped with a defensive save. Pablot's attempt proved to be York's final shot of the match, as USM limited the home team to three attempts overall.

The Spires pressed for the breakthrough late in the first half. Rylan Nowak had a header saved by Watt at 39:40, Mario Santoro forced another stop at 40:49 and Meneses had a header turned away at 44:50. The Spires reached halftime with a 5-3 advantage in shots and six corner kicks to York's two, but the match remained scoreless.

The Spires outshot the Panthers 9-0 after halftime. Nowak forced Watt's fourth save at 73:50 before York's Lopes received a red card at 79:48, leaving York shorthanded for the closing stretch. Nowak then hit the crossbar with a header at 83:51, less than four minutes before Meneses delivered the decisive finish.

Nowak led his team with five shots, including two on goal, while Jackson added three attempts. Meneses put both of his shots on target. The Spires finished with advantages of 14-3 in shots, 6-2 in shots on goal and 8-3 in corner kicks. Watt made four saves for York, while Ezell played all 90 minutes to complete a two-save shutout to advance USM further into the postseason.

 
Coming Up…

The Spires will now gear up for the KCAC Semifinal match slated for Friday, November 6^th against the No. 1 seed, the Friends University Falcons. Kick-off will be at 7 p.m. at Adair-Austin Stadium in Wichita.