Statesmen Shut Out Missouri Valley to Win First Conference Championship

Marshall, Mo.—The William Penn men's soccer team clinched its first-ever league tournament crown as it defeated #1 seed Missouri Valley 1-0 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship Final Wednesday.

The #2 seed Statesmen (16-2-3), ranked #5 in the NAIA, not only captured the Heart title (its first of any kind--regular season or tournament), but also set a new program record with 16 single-season wins. This victory secures an automatic berth for WPU in the upcoming NAIA National Championship.

In a tightly contested match, William Penn narrowly outshot #4 nationally-ranked Missouri Valley (15-2-3) by a 10-9 margin. 

The lone goal came early.  Miguel Menendez (So., Oviedo, Spain, Wellness and Recreation) intercepted a pass in MVC's defensive end.  He immediately chipped it forward to Albert Feixas (Fr., Santa Coloma de Farners, Spain, Exercise Science) who sent it in front of the goal for Hugo Cornish (So., Sydney, Australia, Business Management), who flicked the ball past the goalkeeper just 2:03 into the game.

Menendez's assist on the play marked his 12th of the season, establishing a new William Penn single-season assist record.

Cornish led the Statesmen's attack with three shots, while Menendez and Feixas each recorded two. 

Goalkeeper Sean Bohan (Sr., Dublin, Ireland, Business Management) anchored the defense with six crucial saves, earning his sixth clean sheet of the year.

"This is an unbelievable moment for myself and the team," said forward Hugo Cornish. "Scoring the goal that paid off for all our hard work was a sweet ending for me. For the team, all our hard work and dedication have paid off. Winning the tournament and making history for the program is something we will all treasure for a lifetime."

"I'm so grateful to break the program's assist record," said midfielder Miguel Menendez. "We've still got more games left, and I would love to add many more assists to help the team in the national tournament." 

"We are incredibly proud to have finally won a conference championship. It's been a long time coming. We had to wait our turn, and we are happy to get a trophy for William Penn," added Head Coach Simon Brown. "We want to thank everyone for their support. We look forward to continuing our season at the national tournament."

William Penn will await its national tournament fate as the NAIA's Selection Show will be Saturday at 2 p.m.  Fans can watch the show at https://watch.urbanedgenetwork.net/page/naia