ELGIN, IL—There was a lot to unpack from Wednesday afternoon's NCCAA North Central Region championship match, but after a thrilling see-saw event that had more plot twists than a Scooby Doo comic, the Trojans ultimately came agonizingly close to victory, but had their season terminated on penalty kicks in the winner-take-all clash with the Eagles of Judson University.

The battle was waged under cloudy skies in near freezing temperatures, and both teams left everything they had on the pitch throughout the 110-plus minutes of riveting action. The opening stages of the clash did little to herald the epic finish that was to come, however, as the teams combined for just three shots on goal in the first 45. Just as they had all season, the Trojan back line was impenetrable in the initial half, with back-liners like Jamin Kuepfer, Zach Mawdsley, Caleb Wells, and Jesus Ramos forming a firm barricade that allowed just five shot attempts and only one on frame despite conceding five corners. While the opening stanza was relatively dull compared to the action-packed stretch run, it did serve to set the physical tone for the match, with a total of fifteen cards and one booking serving to light the fire that would cause tensions to boil over as the proceedings continued. All told, the first half set the stage for what was to come as the rival sides went to halftime knotted in a 0-0 deadlock.

As the teams retook the field for a 45-minute sprint that each squad knew could be their last in 2022, the intensity ticked up a notch higher, and that became immediately evident on the pitch in the form of the purposeful, aggressive play of both sides. Judson immediately took the fight to Trinity, equaling their singular shot on goal from the first half with an attempt on frame under two minutes in, but as he had done many times for the Trojans this year, standout keeper Armin Mahmutovic came up with the save. The Trojans immediately countered with a pair of potent attacks of their own, but both fell by the wayside due to offside rulings. Ultimately, it was the Eagles who broke through first, finally sneaking one past Mahmutovic and company to stake out a 1-0 lead. Sensing the urgency, the Trojans upped the pressure, flinging a myriad of attempts toward the Judson goal without success. In the 74th minute, Judson struck again when Mahmutovic was forced to come off his line and was ticketed for his contact in the box, leading to a booking (one of 11 given after halftime in the chippy contest) and more importantly, a penalty shot. Staring down the barrel of a multi-goal deficit late in the must-win clash, Mahmutovic conjured up an excellent save, but in a twist of ill fortune, the carom bounded right back to the Eagle striker, who clobbered it home to enlarge the lead to 2-0. With under 10 minutes remaining and the Trojan season hanging on the edge of a knife, Trinity earned a corner. The seemingly harmless chance proved anything but when sophomore Jesus Ramos hoisted up a pinpoint feed for Trojan veteran Jorge "Pops" Vasquez , who banged it home to cut the Eagle edge in half. Still desperately seeking the equalizer, the Trojans didn't have to wait long for another opportunity to arrive, with dynamic attacker Xavier Brown finding versatile captain Zach Mawdsley for Mawdsley's career-high fifth tally of the campaign to tie the match up at two apiece. Reinvigorated by their improbable comeback, the Trojans continued to swarm the Eagle goal, with Caleb Wells firing off a final effort to complete the Trojan salvo, but it sailed wide to send the match to an extra period, tied at two.

With 90 minutes unable to separate the pair of rivals, the match continued on into extra time. Trinity's offense remained tenacious, wearing down the Eagle resistance with four more shot attempts early before Vasquez continued his resurgent campaign by burying his fourth goal of the season off a Maqiis Haywood feed to give the Trojans a one-goal advantage in the 96th minute. Trailing for the first time all afternoon, it was the Eagles' turn to kick things up a notch, and they certainly did, with the pressure resulting in another penalty kick which was this time converted without incident. After the first 10 minutes of overtime, the teams remained on equal terms, this time locked in a 3-3 tie.

The final overtime period was relatively devoid of action as the teams continued to tap into their adrenaline reserves to keep their legs churning as the grueling competition wore on. Kuepfer, Mawdsley, Wells, Ramos, and Haywood logged the full 110 minutes for Trinity, leaving it all on the pitch as the Trojans pressed onward, seeking any way to score the goal that would surely crown them champions. While only one shot attempt was fired, the period felt like an eternity to the warriors that continued to do battle on the playing surface. Eventually, the anticipation of a title-clinching goal faded away and a grim realization set in—penalty kicks were on the way. The final whistle sounded, confirming what everyone saw coming—the epic battle that had encompassed nearly two hours of action would come down to ten shots at glory.

As the sun began to set and the light started to fade over Dawson Field in Elgin, every man who had graced the pitch for even a moment already had cause for tremendous pride in his efforts. All 31 combatants in the thrilling battle had left every ounce of energy they possessed on the shadowy turf, but a winner still had to be decided. The Trojans started out strong, with Trinity's leading scorer TK Garside setting the tone by burying his chance before Adan Ramirez did the same. The Eagles matched the Trojans before Mahmutovic again stepped into the limelight, forcing the first miss of the shootout to give the Trojans the advantage. Unfortunately, Trojan veteran Noah Kemp was unable to convert on his shot and the sides remained level after three chances apiece. The Eagles converted their fourth chance, but disaster struck again for Trinity on the subsequent attempt. Mawdsley, who has done so much for the Trojans on and off the pitch and was arguably the only reason Trinity had even made it to this point, was also unable to convert, and Judson potted their final effort to seal the deal, finally bringing the odyssey to a close in the form of a Judson victory.

While the match didn't finish up the way the Trojans (9-8-2) had hoped, Trinity still has plenty to feel good about as their resurgent 2022 season draws to a close. Trinity nearly tripled their win total from 2021 (3) while posting their first winning season since 2015 and booking their first trip to the postseason since 2016. The end may have been a letdown for the talented Trojan bunch, but the program is doubtless trending up, and will seek to continue its rapid ascent as they set their sights on recruiting, training, and improving for 2023.  

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Trinity International University is a comprehensive, national university affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America and located in Bannockburn, Illinois, 25 miles north of Chicago. TIU educates men and women to engage in God's redemptive work in the world by cultivating academic excellence, Christian faithfulness, and lifelong learning.