WEST POINT, Ga.— With a spot in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Championship on the line, the Montreat men's soccer team dropped a physical battle against the Point University Skyhawks, 1-0, in West Point, Ga. With the defeat, the Cavaliers wrapped up their 2021 season with an 8-10-1 (7-6 AAC) record.
 
The first 20 minutes of Tuesday night's AAC semifinal proved to be a physical battle in the midfield. In a half in which both teams combined to commit 15 fouls, Montreat and Point fought to gain possession and build an attack through the midfield. Neither side found much success in that department through 20 minutes of play, with Point registering the match's two lone shots.
 
Montreat's first shot of the game came in the 23^rd minute, a long-range strike from the foot of Carlos Hernandez. In a pocket of space in central midfield, Hernandez ripped a blast that continued to rise as it headed toward goal. The ball's trajectory sent it flying just a few feet above the crossbar, but the Cavs' first shot on target wasn't too far away.
 
Oliver Nuno-Rodriguez tallied the Cavaliers first shot on frame just two minutes later in the 25^th minute. While his strike officially put the Cavs in the shots on goal column, it wasn't enough to trouble the reigning NAIA Defensive Player of the Week, Julio Gomes, in net. Gomes, the Point Skyhawks goalkeeper, made the stop and ensured Montreat would stay scoreless in the first frame.
 
Point (11-5-1) held a slight advantage in shot production through 45 minutes of play, out-shooting the Cavaliers 6-4 overall and 2-1 on target. Montreat did have a few opportunities on set pieces, taking two corner kicks to Point's zero, but neither side could break the deadlock in the first half.
 
The Skyhawks failed to earn a corner kick in the first half, but it took less than 90 seconds to register one in the second half. A Montreat header cleared the corner out beyond the top of the box, and Point's long-range blast drifted wide left to end the danger.
 
The 57^th minute exhibited the overall tenor of the second half's pace: frenetic and end-to-end. On a break down the right flank, Hernandez managed to take a shot from a tight angle with Gomes closing in quickly. Gomes stayed big and saved the shot, which deflected powerfully into the midfield, spurring a Point counterattack. Heading the other direction, Point played a beautiful pass into a streaking attack. The Skyhawks thought the feed set up the match's first goal, but the assistant referee's flag raised immediately, signaling offsides.
 
Point's goal was coming, however. Eight minutes later, in the 65^th minute, the Skyhawks took the lead. A Point midfielder played a pass with the outside of his right foot toward the right corner flag. Jeronimo Leguizamon positioned himself on the other end of the pass, broke his defender down on the dribble and created just enough space to whip a shot in toward net. The ball appeared to take a deflection on its way to goal, launching the ball up and out of the reach of any Cavaliers and into the netting.
 
Trailing by a goal, the Cavaliers started to push more numbers forward. Creating numerous set piece opportunities via corner kicks and free kicks, Montreat peppered the Point defense with crosses and shots. In the 81^st minute, Guido Glorioso headed a Hernandez corner just inches wide of the right post. In the 89^th minute, Juan De Los Rios had a header near the penalty spot that forced Gomes to make a one-handed leaping save.
 
Ultimately, the Cavaliers couldn't find the breakthrough, and as the clock showed zeroes, Point claimed its 1-0 win to advance to the AAC Championship.
 
"My heart breaks for the team tonight," said head coach Michael Bruce. "Everyone fought so hard and deserved so much more at the end."
 
The two teams combined to commit 26 fouls and pick up seven total cards in a physical 90-minute battle. Point totaled a few more shots (15-11) and shots on target (6-5) than Montreat, but the Cavaliers held a significant advantage on corner kicks (9-1). Jesus Ramos made a total of five saves in the effort.
 
Tuesday night's loss eliminated Montreat men's soccer from the AAC Tournament, ending its season in the semifinal round.
 
Bruce added, "I am thankful for all of the seniors that have made a lasting impact on this program. Their legacy here goes way beyond wins and losses. We look forward to the next season with positivity knowing we have a great base to build from."