Statesmen Secure First-Ever Spot in NAIA Championship After 4-3 Win Over William Carey

Wichita, Kan.--The William Penn men's soccer team wrote another chapter of history on Saturday, clinching its first-ever trip to the NAIA National Championship Game with a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory over #10 seed William Carey (Miss.) in the semifinals.

In a season full of milestones, the third-seeded Statesmen (20-2-3) reached yet another pinnacle, overcoming the Crusaders (15-5-3) in a thrilling battle. With their eyes now set on the ultimate prize, William Penn will face top-seeded Dalton State (Ga.) in Monday's title showdown at noon. The matchup is a rematch of a tightly-contested Round of 16 clash from a year ago, where Dalton State edged out the Statesmen 1-0.

Saturday's semifinal got off to a rapid start, with William Carey striking first in just the sixth minute to grab an early lead. 

However, William Penn answered back in the 15th minute when Connor O'Reilly (Jr., Letterkenny, Ireland, General Accounting) pounced on a deflected pass, slotting the equalizer past the Crusaders' goalkeeper.

The Statesmen then seized momentum midway through the first half. After being taken down in the box, Matias Meijede (Grad., Brunete, Spain, Master's of Organizational Leadership) regained his footing, collected a pass from Hugo Cornish (So.,

Sydney, Australia, Business Management) delivered, and unleashed a clinical finish to give William Penn a 2-1 advantage.  Cornish would figure into the final three WPU scores in the victory.

The Crusaders unfortunately stormed out of halftime with purpose, scoring twice in quick succession in the 48th and 54th minutes to reclaim a 3-2 lead. 

The Statesmen refused to back down, however. In the 66th minute, Cornish delivered a free kick to Leighton Jameson (Jr., Lisburn, Northern Ireland, Psychology), who soared above the defense to nod the ball into the back of the net, leveling the match at 3-3.

With regulation unable to produce a winner, the match carried into overtime. The Statesmen wasted little time finding the decisive moment. In the third minute of extra time, Miguel Menendez (So., Oviedo, Spain, Wellness and Recreation) capitalized on a golden opportunity, taking a ball that touched a few bodies (including Cornish) and smashing the game-winning strike to send William Penn to the championship.

William Carey narrowly edged William Penn in total shots (12-11), but the Statesmen held a 7-6 advantage in shots on target. Albert Feixas (So., Santa Coloma de Farners, Spain, Exercise Science) led William Penn with four attempts, while Jameson and Menendez each recorded two shots. O'Reilly, Meijede, and Ricardo da Silva (Jr., Vitoria, Brazil, Business Management) added one apiece.

Cornish's three assists tie the school record for single-game assists and is the first time WPU has had three since the 2021 campaign (twice).  He also ties Menendez for not only the team lead, but the school single-season record for helpers.

Sean Bohan (Sr., Dublin, Ireland, Business Management) recorded three saves, including two down the stretch in the second half, to guide the Statesmen defense.

"Scoring the goal will be the moment of my life. These teammates are the best I ever had," said Menendez. "I love everybody back home, and we are going to win this final for them."

"It's a special moment for sure," said Defender Edan Sears (Sr., Telford, England, Business Management). "I have been here all four years now, and when I came into the program, it felt like everyone was on different kinds of postal codes and different wavelengths. I have seen the program group year after year, and now, to be in the national championship finals, it is so special.  We always feel the love from everyone on campus, back on the Drost. Any support you can show us for the finals is so much appreciated. We already see so much--so many messages and a few people coming out as well. But anyone that feels like they have a spare Monday to come and support the boys, it would mean the world. Come see something special. Come see us win the game."

"It's surreal," said Head Coach Simon Brown.  "This a dream being here. You obviously write down your goals, you put them in one place, and you tell the guys. This group of guys and the staff--they work so hard. You wouldn't believe the amount of things they do to even be here. It's such a great group. They are such a special team, and everything comes together at the right time. We have a special staff that works together. I love being their coach, and I can't wait to take them to the national championship game on Monday. Keep sending support to the guys. I know they love it. Any messages of well wishes will really help them. Any little percentage you can get to beat a very tough Dalton State team on Monday."