Arizona Western Men’s Soccer clinch fourth straight National Tournament bid with overtime win

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Arizona Western College's Men's Soccer team punched their ticket to a fourth consecutive NJCAA Division I Men's Soccer National Tournament with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Snow College, sealed in the second overtime by a game-winning goal from Saneyuki Yamagata.

The No. 6-ranked Matadors (14-1-2) claimed their third straight West District title in Ephraim, Utah, against No. 16-ranked Snow College (13-4-2).

The action began with Arizona Western falling behind in the first half after Snow College's Max Mayer struck in the 33rd minute, giving Snow a 1-0 edge. Moments earlier, Matadors' player Peter Yaro narrowly missed putting Arizona Western on the board, his shot rattling off the post.

In the second half, the Matadors found an equalizer after earning a penalty, which goalkeeper Esteban Gonzalez confidently converted, leveling the match 1-1. This marked Gonzalez's second goal of the season and shifted the game’s momentum toward Arizona Western.

The Matadors controlled the ball in the first overtime, again hitting the post, but the match remained locked. Finally, in the opening minute of the second overtime, Yamagata put one home from close range, securing the 2-1 victory and the West District title.

With this win, Arizona Western heads to the NJCAA DI Men’s Soccer Championship in Wichita, Kansas, from November 17-23, where they await their tournament seeding.