TULSA, Okla. -- Third-seeded Omaha blanked fourth-seeded Kansas City 2-0 to win the 2023 #SummitMSOC Championship match Saturday at the Case Soccer Complex on the campus of Oral Roberts University. Championship MVP Nathanael Sallah equaled his season-high with seven saves, including five in the second half to secure the Mavericks' first tournament title since 2017.
Theo Klein scored on a penalty kick in the 25th minute and Ede Gramberg helped put the match away with a tally in the 87th minute but the Roos, who were appearing in the title match for the second consecutive season, kept pressing with an NCAA Tournament bid on the line.
Sallah, who would be named the Championship MVP, had made two key saves just minutes before Gramberg extended the lead. It was a good thing he did because just over a minute later Sallah found himself facing a penatly kick from Kansas City's Edson Murguia. The Roos' strong-footed midfielder went to Sallah's right and the goalkeeper guessed correctly as he smothered the attempt and kept Kansas City off the scoreboard.
Both teams put six shots on goal in the second half after combining for three during the opening 45 minutes. However, both teams had golden opportunities on those limited chances.
Omaha's Sokol Ymeraj sent one off the far post just about 30 seconds into the match but the Roos were able to clear the early threat out of the box.
Kansas City's best chance in the opening half came off a free kick from Julien Le Bourdoulous that Sallah had to make a diving save to his left to knock it out of play for a Roos' corner kick.
The Mavericks would take a 1-0 lead after Klein converted his sixth penalty kick of the season. He got the opportunity after Martin Lago was taken down in the penalty box by Kansas City's Carson Lindsey. That's how the score would remain going into the break.
Lindsey nearly had the equalizer for the Roos early in the second half but his shot in the 56th minute from right in front of the goal mouth went off the cross bar and straight down before it was cleared off the line by the Mavericks.
The Mavericks will find out who they will play in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament during Monday's Men's Soccer Selection Show slated to start at Noon CT and stream live on NCAA.com.
All-Tournament Team
Naz Astwood, Omaha
Robin Balters, Kansas City
Thore Boehm, Omaha
Mael Caisson, Kansas City
Luis Flores, Oral Roberts
Carson Lindsey, Kansas City
Oje Ofunrein, Denver
Aidan O'Toole, Denver
Mathis Pilon St-Louis, Omaha
Joel Quashie, Oral Roberts
Nathanael Sallah, Omaha (Championship MVP)
Scholar of the Championship presented by JLG Architects
A.J. Francois, Denver -
Interview
Turning Point
- Omaha's Nathanael Sallah made three big saves in the closing 10 minutes, including a penalty kick in the 88th minute just over 60 seconds after Ede Gramberg extended the Mavericks' lead to 2-0
Inside the box score
- Both teams had six shots on goal in the second half after combining for just three in the opening 45 minutes.
- Klein netted his team-leading eighth goal of the season and set an Omaha record by drilling his sixth successful penalty kick in the 25th minute.
- Gramberg's goal in the 87th minute was his sixth of the season.
- Sallah posted his seventh shutout of the season and equaled his season-hgh with seven saves.
- Balters made six second-half saves for the Roos and finished the tournament with nine total.
News & Notes
- The last time a No. 3 seed won the tournament was Denver in 2019 when the Pioneers defeated No. 4 seed Omaha, which was also the last time these two seeds met in the final.
- Kansas City appeared in the tournament title game for the second consecutive season as the field's No. 4 seed. The Roos have won three tournament titles with their latest coming in 2008.
- Omaha appeared in the tournament title match in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 with the Mavericks winning their only previous title in a penalty shootout against top-seeded Denver in 2017.
#SummitMSOC
