Kansas Wesleyan Men's Soccer is headed to Wichita for the KCAC Semifinals.
The third-seeded Coyotes put forth a dominating performance behind three unmatched second half goals to defeat sixth-seeded Tabor College Bluejays 4-1 on Tuesday night at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.
The victory boosts Wesleyan's record to 13-3-3 as KWU heads to the KCAC Semifinals on Friday in Wichita at Scheels-Stryker Sports Complex. KWU will meet up with the Ottawa Braves at 7:30 p.m. Ottawa squeaked by seventh-seeded McPherson 2-1 in overtime, needing an 89th minute goal to tie the match and then scored in the 94th minute to win.
The Coyotes were quick out of the gates to get some shots off in the second minute by Noel Zimbeva and another by Gonzalo Gaubeka in the third.
However the teams settled in and the match was played mostly in the middle third of the pitch for most of the first half.
Late in the first, the Coyotes went on the offensive attack again, a pair of shots by Brennen Lamont and Mateo Hoyos were blocked by Tabor's defense and another by Hoyos was saved.
The Coyotes got on the board first in the 41st minute. Emilio Rodriguez netted the goal. After receiving a pass from Seth Flores, Rodriguez settled the ball on the left edge of the penalty area and worked around a couple defenders before sending a shot into goal for the score.
Tabor had a quick answer, literally 20 seconds later. Martin Marinakis sent a cross into the box to David Montoya who got a foot on in and sent it in for the equalizer.
The score was tied at the half.
Wesleyan wasted no time in taking the lead to start the second half. After a Tabor foul, Noel Zimbeva had a direct kick from 23 yards out on the left side. He sent the ball into goal, using the far post to send into the back of the next for the score putting the Coyotes up 2-1 in the 47th minute.
The Coyotes had several other good looks at goals but would be denied.
Wesleyan's last two goals came exactly a minute apart in the 68th and 69th minutes, and both came off corner set pieces.
The first came as Flores sent the corner from the right side into the goal area and found Brennen Lamont for the score. Lamont nearly had another goal immediately following but his shot was saved, setting up another corner.
This time Flores sent it in to the far post, finding Mateo Hoyos who knocked it in just inside the near post putting the Coyotes up 4-1.