Louisville, KY – In a thrilling opening round matchup of the NCAA Tournament, the University of Louisville men’s soccer team secured a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Dayton at Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium. With this win, Louisville (12-5-3) advances to face No. 5 national seed West Virginia on Sunday in Morgantown.
This triumph marks the first postseason win for the Cardinals since the 2019 season when they reached the third round. The game against Dayton featured a flurry of goals in the first half. In the 13th minute, Josh Jones and Sander Roed combined to give Louisville the opening goal. Roed’s corner kick found Jones’ head, which deflected off the right post into the net.
Dayton responded quickly, tying the match in the 17th minute. However, Louisville regained the lead just 80 seconds later, courtesy of David Boccuzzo’s strike into the left side of the net. Roed provided his second assist of the night, taking his season total to nine.
The Flyers fought back with two rapid-fire goals, taking a 3-2 lead in a span of less than three minutes. But Louisville managed to level the game at three with just over 10 minutes remaining in the first half. Quentin Elliot’s long throw into the box was headed on by Jones, and Bryce LeBel finished the sequence with his first goal of the season.
At halftime, the teams were deadlocked at three goals apiece after a thrilling first half that saw a total of six goals and 22 shots. In the 64th minute, Louisville found the game-winner. Parker Forbes delivered a cross from the right side, and Brandon McManus headed it in, ultimately sealing the victory for the Cardinals.
Both teams had opportunities to score in the remaining 25 minutes, but neither could find the back of the net. In the 89th minute, Dayton came close, hitting the left post, but it stayed out, preserving the Cardinals’ lead.
Louisville finished the match with an 18-16 advantage in shots, and goalkeeper Alex Svetanoff made five crucial saves to secure the win.
Follow Louisville men’s soccer on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @LouisvilleMSOC for more updates on their journey through the NCAA Tournament.
