WAVERLY, Iowa – Men's soccer got the postseason underway with a 3-2 win over Loras College in the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) tournament semifinals behind a first-half hat trick performance from Flori Gembo. The Knights are headed to the A-R-C Tournament championship match for a third-straight season.
 
Gembo's hat trick marked a new Wartburg single-game record for goals scored in an A-R-C Tournament match. Kaleab Wendy's two assists also ties the Wartburg single-game record for assists recorded in an A-R-C Tournament match.
 
Match Summary

• First Half
  • Both sides played physically to begin the match and after an evenly played first eight minutes, Loras recorded the first shot of the match with a shot that deflected off the crossbar and out of play
  • Lwings Kabula had a shot miss wide the following minute and then in the 14^th minute, Carson Kay connected with a shot on goal following a free kick that was saved by Loras
  • The Knights got on the scoreboard first when Alima Mmunga made a long pass to Wendy, who quickly fired it over to Gembo to beat the keeper and make the score 1-0 in the 16^th minute
  • Just five minutes later, Gembo collected a feed from Wendy and danced around his defender and fired a shot past the goalkeeper for his second goal of the day
  • Gembo struck again the 28^th minute with another deep goal from the left side of the box, this time with an assist from Landon Hartsell to push the score to 3-0
  • Both sides were able to find shot opportunities in the closing minutes of the first half, but no shots were on target and the score remained 3-0 Wartburg at halftime
• Second Half
  • After two early Loras shots were off target, the Duhawks got on the scoreboard in the 54^th minute when Dani Torres Galiana made the finish after a deflection
  • Kabula beat the Loras defense and had a shot saved in the 58^th minute
  • Loras added another goal in the 64^th minute to cut the deficit to 3-2
  • Joseph Svoboda made a save in the 70^th minute and then the Knights defended back-to-back corner kicks from Loras
  • Svoboda made two more saves in the 76^th and 77^th minutes to keep the Knights in front 3-2
  • Loras had a corner kick opportunity in the 90^th minute and as time was winding down, the Duhawks put a shot on goal that was saved by Svoboda right at the line to preserve a 3-2 Wartburg win

 
Top Performers

• Flori Gembo
  • Three goals (all in first half)
• Kaleab Wendy
  • Two assists
• Alima Mmunga
  • Assist
• Landon Harstell
  • Assist
• Joseph Svoboda
  • Made key save following a 90^th minute corner kick
  • Four total saves

 
 
Notes/Streaks

• First time defeating Loras twice in the same season since 2006
• Wartburg now has a 8-5-1 record against Loras in the A-R-C Tournament
• Second hat trick of the season for Gembo
  • Set new single-game A-R-C Tournament record at Wartburg for goals scored
• Both of Loras' two total losses this season came to Wartburg
• Gembo now has 10 goals scored this season (team high)
  • 24 total points (team high)
  • 16 career goals
• Wendy's two assists tied the single-game A-R-C Tournament record at Wartburg for assists recorded
  • Now has four total this season
  • Five career assists
• Third assist of the season for Mmunga
  • Ninth career assist
• First assist of the season for Hartsell
  • Fourth of his career
• Wartburg will play in its third-straight A-R-C championship match

 
Next Time Out
The Knights will head to Decorah, Iowa on Saturday, Nov. 8 to take on Luther College in the A-R-C Tournament championship.