WICHITA, Kan. – The Ottawa University men's soccer team continues their trek through the KCAC Tournament, facing the Saint Mary Spires in the KCAC Semifinals on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. The KCAC has announced the match will be played at the Stryker Sports Complex Indoor Facility, with consistent 20-30 mph winds and occasional gusts over 40mph forecasted for tomorrow.
 
Last Time Out for Ottawa
The #3 seed Ottawa defeated #6 York 3-1 in the KCAC Quarterfinal at AdventHealth Field on Saturday evening. Slobodan Novicevic, Alonso Basauri, and Lazar Milovic all scored, avenging a 1-1 draw earlier this season to the Panthers. The win put the Braves back in the right direction following a four-game winless streak that included three ties in a very back-loaded schedule with difficult opponents to close the season.
 
Last Time Out For Spires
#2 Saint Mary also got a revenge match of their own, taking down #7 seed Sterling 4-2 after a 2-2 draw to the Warriors earlier in the season. Since that tie against Sterling on Oct. 1^st, the Spires have won eight straight matches and are entering the KCAC Tournament in form at the right time. Head Coach Derek Mazeitis was named the 2022 KCAC Coach of the Year following the impressive regular season from the Spires.
 
Series History – OU vs. USM
The Braves own an impressive 13-4-1 record over the Spires, including this year's 6-3 win in an offensive showdown on the road at Leavenworth on Sep. 24^th. Bence Molnar scored two goals last match against USM, while Novicevic, Basauri, Filippo Della Pasqua, and Francisco Arrua all added a goal each.
 
Inside the Match Numbers
Both teams rank top-three in the KCAC for goals per game, evident in the 6-3 scoreline from last match. USM is second in the conference averaging 3.22 goals per game, while Ottawa is right behind averaging 2.68 goals per game. Defensively, both teams are allowing just around 1.8 goals allowed per game.
 
Bence Molnar is back in form, scoring six goals in the last six games following a three-game scoreless streak a few weeks back. Bence has scored 18 goals this season, while also tied for a team-high eight assists. Slobodan Novicevic has been a nice one-two punch alongside Molnar, scoring 15 goals and adding six assists en route to being named KCAC Freshman of the Year. He is only the third player to win the award at OU, joining Drinnan Sante (2010) and Dan Gray (2003). Novicevic became the first ever NAIA Offensive Player of the Week in OU program history earlier this season following his first KCAC weekly award.
 
KCAC All-Conference Award Winners
 
Slobodan Novicevic – Belgrade, Serbia - KCAC Freshman of the Year - KCAC First-Team
Novicevic ranks fifth in the KCAC with 14 goals and has added six assists on the season. He is the third player to win the award at OU, joining Drinnan Sante (2010) and Dan Gray (2003). Novicevic became the first ever NAIA Offensive Player of the Week in OU program history earlier this season following his first KCAC weekly award.
 
Bence Molnar – Budapest, Hungary - KCAC First-Team
Molnar blazed through his second season at OU, ending as the conference's second leading goal scorer with 18 goals. Molnar also dished out seven assists this season and ranks second in the KCAC with 43 points. His 18 goals so far this season currently stands as OU's seventh best single-season goal scoring record. Molnar scored his 28th career goal against McPherson on Oct. 22nd, becoming the fifth-leading goal scorer in program history. Molnar was a KCAC Honorable-Mention last year in his freshman campaign.
 
Jack Hatswell - Ottery St. Mary, England - KCAC Second-Team
The junior from Ottery St. Mary, England served as the captain of this year's OU squad, appearing and starting in all 18 games this season. His 1408 minutes played is the second highest mark on the team, only 12 minutes behind Della Pasqua. Hatswell excels in roaming the central areas of the pitch and dictates much of the Braves' play from the midfield. Hatswell tallied two assists so far this season, with one in a 6-0 win against William Woods and another in a 1-1 draw to Friends.
 
Zac Wilson - Portadown, Northern Ireland– KCAC Second-Team
The Portadown, Northern Ireland native earned KCAC Second-Team recognition in his first season with OU. Wilson has been a defensive force for the Braves all season, either as a deep-lying midfielder or center back. Wilson's only goal of the season was a significant one, scoring the equalizing goal in a 1-1 draw against Friends on Oct. 15th. Wilson had also had a huge goal line defensive save with two seconds left against Bethany on Oct. 7th, preserving a 2-1 win over the Swedes.
 
Filippo Della Pasqua - Ravenna, Italy – KCAC Second-Team
Della Pasqua rounds out the list of OU's conference award winners, earning KCAC Second-Team recognition in his first year at Ottawa. The Ravenna, Italy native has been solid and reliable at center back all season and leads the team with 1420 minutes played,  appearing and starting in all 18 games this season for OU. His lone goal this season was a soaring header off a corner kick in a 6-3 win over Saint Mary on Sep. 24^th
 
Up Next: The Braves will play the winner of #1 Oklahoma Wesleyan and #4 McPherson. The KCAC Final will be at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kan.