COLLEGE MEN’S SOCCER: Oakland draws visit to Northern Illinois in NCAA first round
ROCHESTER HILLS — For the first time in seven years, Oakland watched its name pop up on the board for the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer College Cup Tournament.
The unranked Golden Grizzlies, fresh off both a regular season and tournament titles within the Horizon League, drew Northern Illinois Illinois for a first-round matchup in the 48-school field.
Oakland will play the Huskies Thursday at 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. EST) at the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex in DeKalb, Illinois.
Northern Illinois is the Mid-American Conference Tournament champion.
Oakland holds a 12-6-2 overall record and defeated Cleveland State 3-1 in the Horizon League Final to secure their spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Grizzlies carry a four-game win streak into the postseason and are 10-2-1 overall in their last 13 games.
Oakland finished 8-1-1 in conference play for 25 points to win the regular season crown.
Northern Illinois comes in with a 14-2-2 overall record and as regular season and tournament champions of the MAC.
Mikey Ketteman leads the team in goals (10), while Noah Jensen recorded seven goals and 12 assists on the year.
Dylan Borczak is third on the side with seven goals and two assists.
Defensively, OU ranks 34th nationally in Division I with a team 1.95 goals-against-average.
Oakland last competed in the NCAA tournament in 2014 and took down Kentucky 2-0 in the First Round. In 2014, Head Coach Eric Pogue was named Horizon League Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious title again this year. Before entering the Horizon League, Pogue was named Summit League Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2012, a true staple in the Oakland program.
The winner of Thursday’s game will advance to face No. 5 seed Pittsburgh on Sunday, Nov. 21.
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