ERIE, Pa. – Team captain Mark Roche scored the game-winning goal and was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament MVP in the Mercyhurst men's soccer team's 2-1 victory against Millersville in the PSAC Championship game on Sunday afternoon.
 
The last time these two teams met was the final game of the regular season and it too was a one-goal game, with the Lakers winning 2-1. This matchup in the postseason proved to be just as competitive and intense throughout.
 
The Lakers drew first blood early in the game in the fifth minute. Millersville was guilty of a handball violation in the penalty area, which gave Mercyhurst a penalty-kick opportunity. Thom Derks blasted the ball into the upper-left corner past Marauders' keeper Darian McCauley to put Mercyhurst in front 1-0.
 
Millersville pushed to tie things up after giving up the early goal and had a few scoring chances in the first half. Devin Rediker had three header-shots in the first half alone, with one sailing just high of the crossbar and the other two being stopped by Lakers' keeper Alex Brems. Millersville had the edge in attempted shots 6-4 over Mercyhurst after 45 minutes, but the Lakers took the 1-0 lead into halftime.
 
Mercyhurst started the second half by registering the first four shot attempts of the half. The fourth one ended up being the Lakers second goal of the game. Connor Wilkinson sent in a corner kick that was met in the air by Roache, who's header found the back of the net to extend the Laker lead to 2-0 in the 52^nd minute.
 
The Marauders bounced right back two minutes later to bring the game back to within one. Rediker gathered the ball with pace down the right side of the field and scored unassisted in the 54^th minute to pull Millersville within one.
 
Millersville subbed multiple players in-and-out throughout the second half to try and keep fresh legs on the field. The Marauders did produce a few chances, with the most threatening chance being a shot that was deflected high into the air past Brems, but actually bounced over the cross bar.
 
The final opportunity for Millersville happened in the 90^th minute when Jeremey Robbins lined up a free kick from about 25 yards out. He curled his shot into the box, but Brems was able to make the save and punt the ball out of harm's way. As time expired, the Mercyhurst bench rushed on to the field to celebrate the 2-1 victory and the PSAC Championship title.
 
Roache was named tournament MVP after having a critical assist on Andrew Bennett's game-tying goal in the PSAC semifinal round against Seton Hill as well as his game-winning goal in the championship match. With the win, Mercyhurst earned its third PSAC title in the past five seasons and its first under head coach Nenad Vidakovic.
 
Mercyhurst will now wait and see if their efforts were enough to earn a bid into the NCAA tournament. Entering the game on Sunday, Mercyhurst was ranked second in the Atlantic Region behind Charleston (W.V.). The Lakers will learn their fate during the NCAA Division II men's soccer selection show to be aired at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 7. To watch the selection show, click here.