COLLEGE MEN’S SOCCER: Oakland holds off Cleveland State for Horizon League title, punches ticket for NCAA tourney for first time since 2015
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
ROCHESTER HILLS — Last season Oakland University learned some devastating news just days before the start of the Horizon League Tournament was scheduled to begin.
A couple members within the program were detected to have COVID-19 and the school was forced to drop out of the conference tournament. The Golden Grizzlies had only one loss at the time and finished in second place in the conference standings with a 6-2-1 record and 20 total points — one point behind Northern Kentucky, which coincidently won the regular season championship last season at 7-1-0 and 21 points.
Northern Kentucky handed Oakland its only league loss last season.
TOPS OF THE HORIZON: Oakland University’s Sebastian Nuzzo (No. 2) celebrates what proved to be the game-winning goal during Saturday’s Horizon League Tournament victory over Cleveland State. Courtesy Photo | Amanda Thick, Amanda Leigh Photography
This season the Golden Grizzlies have come back with vengeance.
After winning the regular season crown this season at 8-1-1 (25 points), the top-seeded and host Golden Grizzlies added two more wins in three days, including Saturday’s 3-1 victory over No. 2 seed Cleveland State in the Horizon League Tournament finals.
“We remember that well (not being allowed to play in the tourney last season),” said Noah Jensen, who was an All-America Second Team choice last season. “Since then we wanted to get to the tournament this year and win it. We beat UIC in the semifinals and that was the team we were supposed to play last year in the semifinals. And UIC beat us earlier in the season. But we had a goal this year to come back, play in the tournament— and win it.”
The win makes Oakland (12-6-2 overall) the undisputed champions of the Horizon League in a year where the Golden Grizzlies were also the preseason favorite.
Oakland is now 10-2-1 over its final 13 games after starting the campaign just 3-5-2.
“I think when we beat them last month it was a turning point of the season,” noted OU head coach Eric Pogue. “We have been called the cardiac kids for a reason. We came back and beat (Cleveland State) 4-3 last time after being down 3-0, and this time we responded well after they were able to tie it in the first half. I couldn’t more proud of these lads. They had an unspoken (theme) of unfinished business after not being in the (conference) tournament last year and we have not lost a conference game since our second conference game of the season.
“These guys had this goal all season and were able to accomplish it with a pair of wins this week,” continued Pogue. “And we’re not done yet. We’re playing as good as anybody right now. We’re definitely a team that nobody wants to have to play in the NCAA.”
When Oakland hosted Cleveland State back on Oct. 9, the Grizzlies were just 3-5-2 at the time. They found themselves in a 3-0 whole midway through the second half before scoring four unanswered goals in the final 22 minutes to stun the Vikings.
Unlike that come-from-behind win, Oakland scored in the first minute this time around and after Cleveland State (10-7-0) was able to draw even in the 42nd minute, Oakland scored what proved to be the game-winner just 34 seconds later.
The Grizzlies added an insurance tally only 2:06 into the second half and hung on for the two-goal victory.
Oakland is now 10-2-1 over its final 13 games since a 2-0 setback to Illinois-Chicago on Sept. 25. That setback was OU’s sole league loss on the campaign.
It was Horizon League Tournament MVP Noah Jensen who put Oakland on the scoreboard with his seventh goal of the campaign. Passes from Owen Smith and Cameron Wilde found their way to Jensen — and the senior midfielder made a quick touch before lacing a shot into the corner with only 41 ticks off the scoreboard.
Cleveland State was able to knot the score at 1-1 when Julian Pellegrini set the table for Pablo Kawecki whose shot found the netting at the 40:57 mark.
Sophomore goalkeeper Finn Jurak, named to the all-tournament team, finished with seven saves, including one from point-blank range with his team clinging to the 1-0 advantage in the first half. Jurak lowered his goals-against-average down to 1.29 with the win between the pipes.
The win sends Oakland to its first NCAA Division I College Cup field for the first time since 2015. The Grizzlies will learn their opponent Monday when the NCAA releases its 48-team bracket for Division I.
“We’ll celebrate this win tonight and then back to it tomorrow,” said Pogue. “We’ll get together to watch the selection show somewhere as a team event (Monday). We’re looking forward to see who we play.”
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