Warriors Secure Senior Night Win; Keep Title Hope Alive

FREMONT, Neb. – Midland University played its final home game of the regular season on Wednesday in a crucial Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) match against Mount Marty University. The Warriors edged out the Lancers 1-0, thanks to a goal from Hugo Garcia-Rosado Duran, his 11th of the season. The win keeps Midland tied at the top of the GPAC standings alongside Morningside heading into the final game of the season.

"We didn't have our best game, but to win titles, you need to find ways to get results," said head coach Josh Nakayama. "I'm proud of the boys."

In the first 25 minutes, Midland dominated possession, taking three shots while holding the Lancers shotless, but hadn't found the net itself. That changed in the 28th minute when the Warriors earned a free kick 20 yards from goal. Hugo Garcia-Rosado Duran stepped up and curled the ball with his left foot, around the wall and into the bottom left corner, giving the home side a 1-0 advantage.

Midland maintained control for the rest of the half, but Mount Marty began finding ways to execute. The Lancers outshot the Warriors 3-1 in the final 15 minutes of the half. However, two crucial saves from Hugo Sjoeberg helped keep the score at 1-0 going into the locker room.

The Warriors came out strong after the break, with Brandon Toledo seemingly doubling their lead in the 49th minute. After finding himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper and slotting the ball into the net, the celebrations were cut short as the assistant referee raised the flag for offside, denying the Warriors an insurance goal.

Midland continued to control possession, outshooting Mount Marty 8-6 in the second half. The Warriors' defense limited the Lancers to few clear-cut chances, securing a 1-0 victory and keeping pace at the top of the GPAC standings.

Hugo Garcia-Rosado Duran extended his lead as the conference's top scorer, while Hugo Sjoeberg, the reigning GPAC Defensive Player of the Week, made three saves in his 90 minutes of work.

"They showed resilience to win and preserve the lead," Nakayama added. "We need to stay grounded and keep working hard."

Midland (8-5-4, 6-1-2 GPAC) will play its final regular-season game next Wednesday, October 30, when it travels to face Concordia (5-2-8, 4-0-4 GPAC). With the game set to kick off at 8:00 p.m., Midland has a chance to win the GPAC regular season title for the first time in program history.

"We are one game away from making history," Nakayama concluded. "All eyes are on Concordia."