UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – Rogers State men's soccer (9-5-6) claimed their first-ever NCAA Tournament win in a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory over rival Southern Nazarene (12-5-4) on a blustery Friday as Marcos Vasallo sent the Hillcats into the next round with the golden goal on a penalty kick.
 
"I'm so proud of our men," said Head Coach Derek Larkin. "They never stopped or gave up, and they got probably one of our program's biggest wins! They embodied the true meaning of being Cardiac 'Cats!"
 
Brandon O'Rourke and Marcos Vasallo both found their way onto the scoresheet, with Vasallo scoring the final two goals of the match. Despite allowing the two goals, Declan Viljoen was outstanding in goal for the Hillcats making four saves.
 
The match began with the two familiar foes feeling each other out early on. However, RSU struck first in the 22nd minute as O'Rourke fired in a shot from the top of the penalty box and past the outstretched arms of the SNU keeper towards the upper left corner of the goal to put the Hillcats up 1-0. Things settled back in as both sides only took three total shots in the half with all three of RSU's shots on target compared to the Crimson Storm's one shot on goal.
 
The offensive attack began to open up for both sides in the second half. SNU managed to outshoot the Hillcats 17-12 in the final 45 minutes with the Crimson Storm taking five shots on goal to RSU's four. SNU knotted things at 1-1 in the 71st minute on a header off a cross into the box. They then took a 2-1 lead in the 77th minute with a shot to the upper right corner of the goal. With just 53 seconds left in regulation, O'Rourke crossed the ball into Vasallo, who drove the equalizer home to the top right corner of the goal to force overtime at 2-2.
 
In the overtime period, the Hillcats went on the attack immediately as Lawson Ford peppered the SNU keeper with back-to-back shots in the first three minutes. In the 94th minute, RSU earned a penalty kick after a rough tackle inside the box. Vasallo played hero as he lined up and fired the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal for the game winner, giving RSU the 3-2 victory.
 
With the win, the Hillcats advance to the next round of the tournament on Sunday, Nov. 24 as they face off against No. 1 seed and host Saginaw Valley State. Kickoff is set for noon Central Time.