KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- St. Thomas advanced to its first-ever Summit League Men's Soccer Championship match in the program's Division I era after outlasting top-seeded Kansas City in a 5-4 penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw through 110 minutes of action Wednesday at Durwood Soccer Stadium. The fifth-seeded Tommies overcame an early deficit and converted all five of their penalty attempts to end the Roos' four-year streak of championship match appearances.

Kansas City struck first in the seventh minute when Mariano Beunza found the back of the net off an assist from Mark Ramarola to give the Roos an early 1-0 advantage.

St. Thomas responded in the 31st minute as Lorenzo Jacon finished a pass from Jacob Nokken to even the match at 1-1 heading into halftime.

The Tommies carried that momentum into the second half, taking their first lead of the afternoon just two minutes after the break. Ignacio Canales Chamizo connected on a pass from Eliot Beaumale in the 48th minute to put St. Thomas ahead 2-1.

Kansas City answered in the 58th minute when Raphael Kistmann converted another assist from Ramarola to bring the match level at 2-2. Neither team could find the go-ahead goal through the remainder of regulation or either 10-minute overtime period, sending the semifinal into a penalty shootout.

St. Thomas converted each of its five attempts, with John Bence, Johann Joensen, Beaumale, Jacon and Rodrigo Salamanca Lopez finding the back of the net. Moritz Krenc provided the decisive stop for the Tommies, denying Gabriel Santuari's third-round attempt to give St. Thomas the advantage in the shootout. The Tommies completed the 5-4 shootout victory when Salamanca Lopez converted the final attempt.

The victory marks the second consecutive postseason match in which St. Thomas has advanced through penalty kicks after also defeating Oral Roberts in the quarterfinal round. The Tommies will now make their first appearance in the Summit League Men's Soccer Championship match during their Division I era and become the first No. 5 seed to compete for the tournament title.

Turning Point

• Krenc denied Santuari's third-round penalty attempt before St. Thomas converted its remaining attempts to complete the 5-4 shootout victory. Salamanca Lopez converted the decisive fifth attempt to send the Tommies to the championship match.

Inside the box score

• St. Thomas converted all five of its penalty attempts, while Kansas City converted four of five.
• Krenc recorded five saves during 110 minutes of action and stopped one penalty attempt in the shootout.
• Jacon and Canales Chamizo each scored a goal for the Tommies, while Beaumale and Nokken each recorded an assist.
• Ramarola recorded two assists for Kansas City, while Beunza and Kistmann each scored a goal.
• Kansas City held a 22-6 advantage in shots and a 14-3 edge in corner kicks.
• The Roos also held a 7-2 advantage in shots on goal.

News & Notes

• St. Thomas advanced to its first-ever Summit League Men's Soccer Championship match in the program's Division I era.
• The Tommies became the first No. 5 seed in Summit League Men's Soccer Championship history to reach the title match.
• St. Thomas is now 0-0-2 in postseason action, advancing through penalty kicks in both the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.
• The Tommies earned revenge against Kansas City after falling 1-0 to the Roos earlier this season.
• Kansas City's four-year streak of championship match appearances came to an end with Wednesday's semifinal defeat.
• The Roos have never captured the Summit League Men's Soccer Championship as the No. 1 seed.
• Kansas City hosted the semifinal and championship rounds of the tournament for the third time, with previous occasions coming in 2005 and 2011.

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