ST. LOUIS – The No. 5 Trinity University Men's Soccer team (19-1-1) powered its way into the NCAA Final Four with a ruthless 5-0 Elite Eight victory over No. 2 Augsburg (18-3-3) on Sunday afternoon at Francis Olympic Field, putting together one of the most dominant postseason performances in program history.
Trinity asserted control from the outset, dictating tempo through midfield and pinning Augsburg deep with sustained pressure. The breakthrough came in the 16th minute after a free kick from
Julian Lopez (Austin, Texas / St. Stephen's Episcopal) struck the wall and fell at the feet of
Adam Knutson (Dripping Springs, Texas / Dripping Springs) who reacted first, smashing a half volley home into the bottom right hand corner to give Trinity a deserved 1-0 lead. The Tigers doubled their advantage in the 38th minute as a whipped cross from Knutson on the right hand side caused chaos, forcing a failed Augsburg clearance that deflected into the net for an own goal. With a 2-0 cushion at the break, and a 6-1 shot advantage, Trinity looked every bit like a team ready to seize its Final Four berth.
The second half belonged entirely to the Tigers. Augsburg's only bright moment came in the 50th minute, but goalkeeper
Jayden Schell (Dallas, Texas / Plano) produced a sharp save before Trinity's back line took full command. From
Luke Chandler (Glasgow, Scotland / Balfron) to
Daniel Urquidi (Round Rock, Texas / Round Rock) to
Luke Mayfield (Dallas, Texas / JJ Pearce), the defensive unit closed every lane, allowing Augsburg no clear looks as the match progressed.
In the 66th minute, Trinity's pressure produced the dagger. Lopez picked up his second assist of the afternoon, laying a ball perfectly into the path of the onrushing
Alex Baltov (Shreveport, Louisiana / Caddo Parish Magnet), who took one touch and smashed the ball from outside the penalty area, across goal and into the bottom left hand corner for the Tigers' third goal of the affair. Augsburg had no response.
The Tigers' depth delivered the final blows in the closing minutes. First, in the 87th minute, a a cut-back from
Clayton Holmes (San Antonio, , Texas / Alamo Heights) ricocheted off a defender and fell perfectly to
Joey Perryman (Flower Mound, Texas / Flower Mound), who took one touch and placed Trinity's fourth into the bottom left hand corner. Less than three minutes later, Holmes again linked with Perryman, slipping a precise ball in behind for Perryman to latch onto and drive an emphatic strike into the bottom left hand to complete the brace and seal the 5-0 scoreline.
Schell finished with two saves before handing off to
Brandon Gongora (San Antonio, Texas / Madison), who added one more to secure the combined shutout. Trinity's discipline and dominance were reflected across the stat sheet. A 12-7 advantage in shots, a commanding 7-2 edge in corners, and a defensive effort that held Augsburg scoreless across 90 minutes.
With a 5-0 statement win that showcased elite defending, relentless midfield control, and clinical finishing, Trinity storms into the NCAA Final Four for the first time since 2007, carrying momentum, belief, and one of the strongest defensive records in the nation having not conceded a goal in their playoff run so far.
Up Next
The Tigers now advance to the NCAA Final Four, where they will matchup against No. 6 Emory University (16-1-4) in Salem, Virginia on Friday, December 5th, taking one step closer to the program's first national championship since 2003.