On his third attempt to win the game, Monmouth College goalkeeper Joel Cowan sent the Fighting Scots to their first-ever Midwest Conference Tournament championship game with a save in a penalty kick shootout.

Through 90 minutes of regulation time, the Fighting Scots and Carroll College played to a 1-1 tie. Mark Allen netted the goal for Monmouth in the 16th minute, and the Pioneers tied the match in the second half with less than 15 minutes remaining. The two teams stayed tied through a pair of 15-minute overtimes, sending the contest to the shootout stage.

Monmouth kicked first in each rotation and scored goals on their first four attempts in the five-shot shootout. Alex Sandoval, Allen, Jon Williamson and Jeff Samp all found the back of the net, and the Scots had a 4-3 lead when a Carroll player missed to end the fourth round.

Cowan was Monmouth’s fifth player to kick, and he could have ended the shootout by scoring, but his shot was saved. Still clinging to a 4-3 lead, Cowan again could have clinched the outcome with a save, but Carroll scored to tie the shootout at 4-4.

At that stage of a shootout, each team gets one penalty kick until there is a winner. Ortez Davis scored for Monmouth, and Cowan finally sealed the deal by saving Carroll’s attempt.