TUCSON, Ariz. --- The Prairie State men's soccer team is officially sailing uncharted waters.
Thanks in part to Jones College's 2-1 overtime victory over Mesa on Wednesday, the Pioneers advance out of pool play and into the semifinals of the NJCAA Division II men's soccer tournament.
The 2022 Pioneers represent the first PSC team in any sport to compete in a national tournament final four in PSC history.
Eleven-seed Prairie State (16-5-1) will now face off against the tournament's top-seeded team in Phoenix College (15-1-2) in a Friday afternoon semifinal (4 p.m. CST).
The Bears have also owned the top slot in the national rankings for much of this season.
On the other side of the bracket, PSC's Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference rival, Morton, is also still alive. If both the Panthers and Pioneers are victorious in their respective semifinal matches, the two could square off Saturday for the national championship.
First things first, however.
Here's what we know about Phoenix:
- The Bears have owned the No. 1 ranking in the national polls for much of this season.
- Phoenix has bested both of its opponents at the national tournament thus far.
- The Bears are paced by sophomore forward Gabriel Gonzalez and his 17 markers on the slate.
- Sophomore midfielder Marcos Mora (9 goals, 12 assists) and freshman forward Gerik Jakubowski (9 goals) have also had big years.
- The Bears roster four goalkeepers, but sophomore Justin Zimmerman logs the bulk of the time between the posts (1,091 minutes).
- Phoenix's veteran netminder has turned away 40 shots and allowed just eight goals on the campaign.
- His 0.66 goals against average is good for second nationally.
