Box Score Without the possibility of a NCAA postseason bid, most athletic programs will look to achieve the next best feat, a conference championship. In its first season as a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), the Lindenwood men's soccer team did just that. Not only did the Lions capture the MIAA regular season title, they also stepped into the conference tournament and garnered the first MIAA titles for any Lindenwood program.

Under the direction of head coach Carl Hutter, the Lindenwood men's soccer team finished the 2012 regular season with a record of 13-2-3 and a conference record of 8-0-2 en route to the regular season title.

The Lions started the 2012 season with back-to-back double overtime games and four overtime games in the first seven contests. In that span, two of the team's three ties occurred as well as one of its two losses.

With three consecutive shutouts against Upper Iowa, Fort Hays State, and Southern Nazarene leading up to the midway point in the season, the Lions suffered their final defeat of the season to Oakland City on the road in a 1-0 shutout.

Eight days after Lindenwood's second loss of the season, the Lions hosted Northeastern State in a conference match that would ultimately set the tone between the two squads. The RiverHawks handed the Lions their third and final tie of the season as neither team could find the back of the net at Hunter Stadium in a double overtime affair.

Lindenwood concluded the remainder of the regular season with six straight victories, four of which were over conference foes. The biggest victory in that span was a 3-1 win at Hunter Stadium over Southwest Baptist. That win wrapped up the regular season title for the Lions as well as the University's first title as a member of its newest conference.

In semifinal of the MIAA tournament, Lindenwood was matched up against Fort Hays State, a squad that the Lions previously shutdown on their home turf earlier in the season. The Lions came away with a 2-1 victory over the Tigers, only to face their newly formed rival in Northeastern State.

With 110 minutes of scoreless soccer already played, both teams knew exactly what was at stake in this championship game.

The first half of this championship game was similar to that of the scoreless tie that occurred earlier in the season where neither team found the back of net. Lindenwood had a scoring possibility 11:30 into the first half, but Northeastern State lucked out as a header by Andre Hayne hit the goal post.

Both teams proceeded to exchange a total of 11 shots through the first half with the RiverHawks holding a 6-5 advantage.

"Halftime was vital for us as we started the game slow, and it was not as we would have expected," stated Lindenwood defender Axel Duarte. "It gave us the opportunity to talk as a team and realize how close we were to accomplish our goal."

The scoreless soccer between these two squads continued well into the second half. Northeastern State started the period with a shot on goal just over two minutes in, but the Lions defense put a halt to any offense Northeastern State attempted to create after that point.

After 191 minutes of combined scoreless soccer over the two contests, Lindenwood's Hernan Gonzales found the back of the net to put the Lions up 1-0 with just under nine minutes remaining in the game. Gonzales' goal was just his second of the season. Azeem Razwan was credited with the assist, tallying his first assist of the year.

Northeastern State fired off three more desperation shots in the final minutes of the game, including a header, saved by Lindenwood goalie Fermin Hughes with just one second remaining in the contest. The Lions finished on top with not only a 1-0 shutout against Northeastern State, but also the MIAA championship trophy.

"It was a very good and competitive match," stated Hutter. "We were fortunate to get a goal. Lindenwood has much respect for Northeastern State because they are well coached and have a talented group. We were humbled to be able to win and represent ourselves as well as Lindenwood University."

Lindenwood attempted seven shots compared to five by the RiverHawks in the second period with three of those shots being on goal.

"Winning the tournament was a great moment for the team as we set out to win everything we could," said Duarte. "I personally feel like every player gave their all and that is what made the difference at the end of the day."

A key for the team was the togetherness that they demonstrated throughout the season. Along with the successes they garnered, the Lindenwood men's soccer team also learned a lesson along the way.

"We understand that you never take opportunities and/or experiences for granted," said Hutter. "We have positive thoughts and believe our group has more successes ahead of them due to hard work, talent, and overall togetherness as a team."

The Lions concluded the season with 36 total goals while holding their opponents to just 13. Lindenwood recorded a .107 shot on goal percentage and tallied nine shutout victories as well as two shutout ties.

"It was an honor to be a part of this team," said Duarte. "Winning the first conference championship was a perfect end to a successful season. We demonstrated that we were competitive and capable of winning the tournament despite it being our first year in the MIAA."

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