WICHITA, Kan. - Falcons men's soccer team saw its KCAC postseason tournament run come to an end Friday night (Nov. 6), falling 2-1 to the University of Saint Mary Spires in the KCAC Tournament semifinals at Adair-Austin Stadium.
The Falcons dropped to 15-4-1 overall despite controlling much of the offensive action, while Saint Mary improved to 10-6-3 with the victory.
Friends came out looking to build on its dominant 4-0 quarterfinal victory over Kansas Wesleyan earlier in the week. The Falcons broke through in the 32nd minute when Jose Quiel found the back of the net off an assist from Austin Wyn Davies, giving Friends an early 1-0 advantage.
The Falcons nearly doubled their lead before halftime when Jayden Phrakonkham fired a shot off the crossbar in the 41st minute. Friends carried its one-goal advantage into the break, looking to secure a spot in the KCAC Tournament championship match.
However, Saint Mary wasted little time responding in the second half.
Just over a minute after the restart, Mario Santoro converted a penalty kick at 46:13 to even the score at 1-1.
Santoro struck again in the 60th minute, finding the back of the net off an assist from Rylan Nowak to give the Spires their first lead of the match at 2-1.
Facing a one-goal deficit, Friends continued to apply offensive pressure throughout the remainder of the contest.
The Falcons generated several opportunities in the closing minutes, including a shot from Ben Scognamillo in the 77th minute that was turned away by a Saint Mary team save.
Diego Marin added a header on goal in the 81st minute, but Spires goalkeeper Xavier Ezell made the stop to preserve the lead.
Friends made one final push in the closing minutes, recording four shots in the final four minutes of regulation. Eduardo Enrique Gomez Montt and Quiel each forced saves from Ezell, but the Falcons were unable to find the equalizer.
Quiel led the Falcons offensively with a goal on five shots, including four on target. Davies recorded the assist on the lone Friends goal.
Despite the loss, Friends held a commanding 14-5 advantage in total shots and a 7-2 edge in shots on goal. The Falcons also earned three corner kicks compared to one for the Spires.
Saint Mary goalkeeper Xavier Ezell recorded five saves, while the Spires' defense added a team save to hold off the Falcons' late comeback attempt.
Although the KCAC Tournament run came to an end, Friends has put together one of the most memorable seasons in program history.
The Falcons will now turn their attention to the NAIA National Tournament as they look to continue their historic 2026 campaign on the national stage. First and second rounds are November 19-21 and their opponent is TBA.
