The Celts had a strong showing in the opening round of the NCAA National Tournament defeating the Chapman Panthers 2-1. After finding themselves down 1-0 early a pair of goals from Taty Aleman gave St. Thomas its first NCAA postseason victory.
The game did not open in the Celts favor as the Panthers were first to strike in just the 11th minute with a goal to make the score 1-0. After that the St. Thomas defense tightened and limited Chapman to just three shots through the rest of the half. In addition the goalkeeper for the Celts, Rodrigo Lazo had a clutch save in the 19th minute to keep the score the same heading into the half. However, St. Thomas did not go unscathed as Ian Alvarez tacked on a yellow card in the 15th minute.
The second half featured both teams attempting to take control of the match. Yet Chapman was first to break their defense in the 62nd minute as Taty Aleman found the back of the net to tie the game. With the score 1-1, and the season on the line Chapman and St. Thomas did not want to give one another the lead. Two cards apiece would be charged to each team as they played defense. Then Chapman made a crucial mistake forcing a penalty kick for St. Thomas. Taty Aleman scored his second of the match as the Celts took a 2-1 lead with 11 minutes remaining. As the clock winded down, the Panthers did all they could to prevent St. Thomas from scoring while attempting to score themselves. Rodrigo Lazo made a game-changing save with one minute remaining to keep the score as is. As the clock continued to tick, St. Thomas eventually found themselves victorious, advancing to the next NCAA regional round by defeating the Chapman Panthers 2-1.
The Celts continued a strong offensive showing into the tournament as they out shot the Panthers 21-7. Although they led with three cautions, the victory was secured as they await the victor of Mary Hardin Baylor and Pacific Lutheran University.
Up next, its another do-or-die matchup for the Celts as they face the winner of PLU and UMHB, a trip to the NCAA Sectionals is on the line!
