DELAND, Fla. – Central Arkansas men's soccer (8-6-2, 5-2-1 ASUN) closed out the regular season with a 3-1 victory over Stetson on Saturday, securing the No. 2 seed in the ASUN Championship behind a two-goal performance from Kyle Schwartz.
Stetson controlled the pace early, outshooting Central Arkansas 5-1 through the opening 20 minutes. The Hatters created dangerous opportunities in the third and 21st minutes, but Merrick Cook came up with two key saves in one-on-one situations to keep Stetson off the scoreboard. Cook finished the match with seven saves.
As the first half progressed, Central Arkansas settled into its attack and began generating opportunities through long balls from the back line. Rico Duggan nearly opened the scoring with a shot from just outside the box, but the Stetson goalkeeper got a hand on the attempt to force a corner kick.
The Bears continued to apply pressure and broke through in the 40th minute. Vaclav Kozeny found Schwartz, who finished the opportunity to give Central Arkansas a 1-0 lead heading into halftime. With the assist, Kozeny moved into a tie with Duggan for the team lead with four assists.
The physical play continued after the break, with both teams receiving yellow cards within the first five minutes of the second half. Stetson finished the match with 20 fouls, compared to 13 for Central Arkansas.
Duggan continued to create opportunities for the Bears, putting shots just wide of the goal in the 48th and 54th minutes. Central Arkansas extended its lead in the 71st minute when Michael Walenchok broke into the Hatters' defensive third and worked his way into a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper. His attempt beat the keeper, but a Stetson defender's attempt to clear the ball resulted in an own goal, giving the Bears a 2-0 advantage.
Stetson responded by earning a penalty kick after drawing a foul inside the box. The play was reviewed to determine whether the foul occurred inside the penalty area, but the original call stood. Zsombor Pall converted the penalty kick to put the Hatters on the board.
Central Arkansas answered just two minutes later. Schwartz worked his way down the far side of the field before firing a shot from just outside the middle of the box and finding the back of the net for his second goal of the night. The performance brought Schwartz's season total to three goals and restored the Bears' two-goal advantage.
Central Arkansas also received a strong defensive effort from its backline throughout the match. Mateusz Wojtalik and Kaisei Matsudo each played all 90 minutes, helping clear Stetson's attacking opportunities and keep the Hatters from generating sustained pressure in the Bears' defensive third. The backline also cleared all three of Stetson's second-half corner kicks and helped transition possession back up the field. Senior Joseph Mwamba added a strong performance, playing 78 minutes and helping the Bears win possession and build their attack.
With the victory, Central Arkansas clinched the No. 2 seed in the ASUN Championship and earned the right to host a semifinal matchup. The Bears will face the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between No. 3 seed West Florida and the No. 6 seed. Queens.
The ASUN Championship semifinal will take place Nov. 9 at Bill Stephens Track and Soccer Complex. Central Arkansas has gone 10-0-1 at home across the past two seasons and will look to continue that success in the postseason. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+, with live statistics available online.
