Lawrenceville, GA – The #5 seed Washington Adventist University (WAU) men's soccer team faced a heartbreaking end to their Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) Championship Tournament run on Saturday, November 10, as they battled #4 seed Talladega College to a 1-1 draw in regulation and two overtime sessions before narrowly falling in a penalty shootout, 5-4.

In a highly competitive match, both teams showed their determination to advance in the tournament. The Shock struck first, scoring in the 14th minute to take a 1-0 lead. Rodrigo Torgal scored on a one-timer following a WAU counterattack after Marcos Hernandez Molina dribbled inside the 18-yard box. The play was set up by receiving the ball near midfield. However, the Tornadoes quickly answered, with a goal in the 27th minute as Talladega buried a shot from the right side of the pitch to equalize before halftime, tying the game at 1-1.

The second half and both overtime periods were tightly contested, as both teams created scoring opportunities but were unable to break the deadlock. WAU's defense, anchored by Torgal and strong goalkeeping from Gregorio Capponi, kept Talladega from regaining the lead, while the Shock's offense continued to push forward, hoping to secure the go-ahead goal.

With the match still tied after two overtime sessions, the outcome was decided by a penalty shootout. Both teams converted on their first two attempts. The Shock, shooting first in each round, was unsuccessful in the third attempt as Diogo Patrao struck the crossbar. Talladega converted all five of their penalty kicks, ultimately edging WAU by a narrow 5-4 margin in the shootout and advancing to the next round.

The draw marks the end of the season for WAU men's soccer, who fought hard throughout the CAC Championship Tournament and capped their season with an inspiring performance against a strong opponent.