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Scoreboard

Case Western Reserve University Athletics
Case Western Reserve University Athletics

Scoreboard

Ohta Kamiya and Adam Pluszczyk celebrating after a goal against Behrend
Tim Phillis
0
Penn St.-Behrend PSB (11-2-7, 5-1-1)
2
Winner CWRU CWRU (12-0-5, 3-0-4)
Penn St.-Behrend PSB
(11-2-7, 5-1-1)
0
Final
2
CWRU CWRU
(12-0-5, 3-0-4)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Penn St.-Behrend PSB 0 0 0
CWRU CWRU 0 2 2

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

No. 4 Spartans Strike Twice in Second Half, Advance to NCAA Second Round

The fourth-ranked Case Western Reserve University men's soccer team scored twice in the second half to defeat Penn State Behrend 2-0 in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship on Friday afternoon at DiSanto Field in Cleveland.

The Spartans improved to 12-0-5 this season, while the Lions ended the campaign with a record of 13-2-7. CWRU will face Transylvania University on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the second round of the postseason. The Pioneers (14-2-3) defeated Hope College 2-1 later in the day on Friday.

Stats and Standouts

  • Senior Cormac Apostolides scored early in the second half, his seventh goal of the year
  • Senior Adam Pluszczyk added his first goal of the season to seal the victory
  • Sophomore Micah Rossen contributed an assist, his third of the campaign
  • Sophomore Alex Eby was the lone field player to not leave the turf for the Spartans
  • Sophomore Carter Shedd saved one shot to secure his eighth clean sheet of the year

First Half

  • Rossen had an early shot saved in the second minute of the game
  • The Spartans kept the pressure up early in the contest, taking three shots in the first 10 minutes
  • CWRU had the game's next shot in the 24th minute, earning a corner kick
  • However, the hosts could not capitalize on the set piece
  • Shedd made his first save of the game a few minutes later
  • The Spartans countered, earning a pair of corner kicks before the half hour was up
  • Behrend nearly broke the deadlock in the 34th minute, taking a pair of shots and earning a corner kick
  • Each team had a chance to score in the closing minutes of the period, but the teams heading into the locker rooms without a goal

Second Half

  • Case Western Reserve started the second half applying pressure, earning an early corner kick
  • CWRU drew a foul in the box in the 47th minute, and Apostolides calmly converted from the spot to put the hosts ahead
  • The goal was the seventh of the season for the senior captain, tying him for the team lead
  • Behrend nearly equalized a few minutes later with a shot hitting the crossbar from just outside the box
  • With just over 14 minutes remaining in the game, Rossen chased a long ball down the far corner
  • He cut toward the middle of the pitch on the endline and found Pluszczyk all alone in the middle of the box
  • The senior controlled the pass and fired a left-footed shot past the goalkeeper to double the CWRU lead
  • The Lions managed just two shots for the rest of game as the hosts controlled possession to advance to the next round

Spartan Notes

  • CWRU improved to 10-4-1 against Behrend following their first-ever meeting in NCAA Tournament. The Spartans have won three matches in a row over the Lions
  • Case Western Reserve improved to 6-2-4 all-time in the postseason with the Spartans making their sixth all-time appearance
  • Apostolides set a single-season program record with his fifth made penalty kick
  • Pluszczyk became the 15th different goal scorer for CWRU this season
  • 23 players saw the field for Case Western Reserve in the game
  • Case Western Reserve had a 17-10 edge in shots, 5-1 advantage in shots on goal, and 7-4 lead in corner kicks
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