Defense steps up as Mustangs roll into Heart semifinals

OSKALOOSA, Iowa -- Robin Sarret's first half goal plus tremendous play down the stretch by Alejandro Cuende and the Mount Mercy defense pushed the seventh-seeded Mustangs past second-seeded William Penn, 1-0, in Friday's Heart of America Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Championship quarterfinal at Drost Field.

Mount Mercy (9-4-4) goes to Olathe, Kan., on Tuesday for a Heart of America semifinal against second-seeded and 21st-ranked MidAmerica Nazarene (11-3-4) at 1:00 pm at Pioneer Field. The Pioneers shut out sixth-seeded Central Methodist, 2-0, on Friday. Mount Mercy defeated MidAmerica Nazarene, 2-1, in their regular season matchup on Oct. 14 at Hadzic Field in Cedar Rapids.

In stark contrast to their meeting three weeks ago which ended in a 6-1 victory for the 17th-ranked Statesmen, the Mustangs kept the William Penn offense in check. They gutted out a second half that saw the Statesmen (11-4-4) fire off nine shots that included six on-frame. A Cuende save of a penalty kick by Edan Sears in the 71st minute and a team save moments later highlighted a spirited effort by Mount Mercy over the final 45 minutes.

Tuesday's other semifinal match features top-seeded Missouri Valley (11-5-0) against fifth-seeded Benedictine (10-4-4) in Marshall, Mo. The 14th-ranked Vikings beat eighth-seeded Baker, 3-1, while the Ravens edged fourth-seeded Park, 1-0, on the road. The postseason tournament wraps up with the championship final on Nov. 10.