GREENSBORO, N.C. – Friday night's NCAA Semifinal match lived up to its billing, as the University of Chicago men's soccer team battled Amherst College past 90 minutes and into two overtimes. However, the Mammoths tallied the game-winner in the 108th minute to defeat the Maroons 1-0.

UChicago concluded its season with a 16-6-1 overall record. Amherst (17-2-2) advances to Saturday's NCAA championship game.

The Maroons made a pristine run to its fourth NCAA semifinal in program history (1996, 2017, 2018, 2021). The squad shut out all four of its opponents in the previous rounds, while totaling eight goals offensively. Amherst came into the game boasting one of the nation's top defensive units as well, surrendering only 0.40 goals per game on the season.

"Amherst is one of the top teams in Division III over the last 10 years, so it was just awesome to get out there with them and see where we're at relative to a team like that," said UChicago Head Coach Pat Flinn. "I think our guys showed up and they have a lot to be proud of. Game could have gone either way."

Defense reigned for most of Friday's matchup. Amherst knocked the left post with a chance in the 28th minute. But the lone shot on goal was provided with 1:35 left in the first half when UChicago senior Vicente Mateus' shot towards the right post was snagged by the diving goalkeeper.

Regulation would not be enough time to decide things, as the score remained knotted at 0-0 after 90 minutes. In the first overtime, the Mammoths put two shots on goal against UChicago sophomore goalkeeper Will Boyes, who saved both attempts. As the final seconds ticked away, a Maroon counter allowed first-year Ryan Shea to take a crack at goal. But his shot was blocked in the box by an Amherst defender to ensure a second 10-minute overtime.

Sophomore Ryan Yetishefsky fired off two shot attempts in the period. A nice buildup in the 107th minute nearly hit paydirt but was ultimately saved by the goalie. Amherst then came back the other way and netted the golden goal at the 107:47 mark to end the game.

The final box score saw Amherst hold the advantage in both shots (13-6) and corner kicks (7-6).

Boyes (6-1 record) collected three saves with one goal allowed in his 108 minutes of play.

UChicago's six-member senior class – Ben Brandt, Peyton Lane, Vicente Mateus, Sahil Modi, Kyle Ruark and Calvin Walters – amassed a four-year cumulative record of 46-11-7. The team qualified for the NCAA postseason three times and advanced to the NCAA Semifinals twice.

Flinn spoke highly of the contributions his seniors made to this year's success, both on and off the field. "They're just really good guys, great students, great ambassadors for the team, the athletic department, the university as a whole," he said. "They just do everything the right way. They're team-first people. They're going to be really hard to replace because of the example they set for the rest of the group."

After the game, Ruark spoke about the group's cohesion and closeness that allowed them to have a memorable season. "Everyone was very close with one another," he said. "A lot of that started in the preseason. We had about a month-and-a-half without any classes, since we start school in October. We spent a lot of time together, staying in the dorms, going to practice every day, eating every meal together. I think that was probably the most special thing to me looking back. I'll remember some details about some of the games, but I think what I'll remember the most is being around this great group of guys."

Brandt returned for the 2021 season as a fifth-year senior looking to make one last deep postseason run. With more than half the roster making their collegiate debuts this fall, Brandt was impressed with how the team grew through adversity, bonded as a group, and became their best selves as the season progressed.

"What was really unique about this team is the amount of guys who made game-winning contributions, who made game-saving tackles, who gave us 30 minutes of play that we needed," Brandt said. "It was unbelievable, the depth of this team all through the different classes. There were a bunch of guys who came to campus who I had never played with and they stepped up like that. Everyone this season had a moment of contribution where they were the star, and that's what made our team special."