UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University men's soccer program had their deepest run into the NCAA DII Championships since 2012 as they hosted McKendree University for their Quarterfinal match on Saturday. The Cardinals (13-6-2) fell 2-1 to the Bearcats (15-0-7) in the Super Region 3 Championship.

A wild match at Robert C. Braddock Field with all three goals within two minutes of each other and the Cardinals tallying 12 shots in the second half trying to even the score. Bailey Winchurch took the lead for the Bearcats in the 31st minute, scoring off a free kick just outside the 18-yard box. A minute later, Alex Demorow received a cross from Sheikh Manneh as he struck it out of the air and into the top of the net to tie the match 1-1. It didn't take McKendree long to take the lead back as Philipp Schmidt's shot deflected off a Cardinal defender and into the back of the net in the 32nd minute.

At the break, the Bearcats held 70% of the possession, but SVSU stormed back in the second half. 12 shots, five on goal, as Jonny Monney totaled four shots, Manneh had three, and Jayden Cameron, Elliot Nottoli, and Demorow had two. The Cardinals won five corner kicks in the second half and almost had the tying goal. In the 79th minute, Nottoli controlled the ball off a corner and delivered a strike to the bottom left corner, but the play was deemed offsides and the goal called off. Minutes later, a shot deflected off a couple of bodies and almost found its way into the net before being cleared away from danger.

Saginaw Valley couldn't find the equalizer as the clock hit zero. The Cardinals earned a share of the GLIAC regular season title, they captured the GLIAC tournament crown in PKs against Roosevelt and hosted four rounds of the NCAA DII Men's Soccer Championships before falling in the Quarterfinals to end the season.