DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras men's soccer team killed two birds with one stone on Friday afternoon, earning payback over a side that defeated them in the regular season as well as advancing to the Elite Eight for the fifth time since 2007. Senior Mike Gordon struck the game-winner in the 43rd minute for his seventh goal of the season to lift the Duhawks to the 2-1 victory over DePauw.

TURNING POINT
All season long, it has been a focus of Loras' to jump on their opponents early and score the first goal, and on Friday, they certainly accomplished their goal. The early goal took DePauw out of their comfort zone and forced them to push for an equalizer for nearly 87 minutes, creating opportunities for the Duhawks going the other direction.

HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF
The first 90 seconds of the match saw Loras earn three consecutive corner kicks, all on the same possession. Finally, DePauw escaped with only a shot that went wide of target by senior Jorge Simon, but less than a minute later, the Duhawks were knocking yet again. Loras drew the attention of DePauw's defenders to the near side of the field, opening a passing lane to the opposite side of the penalty area for senior Justin Giacotto. The Elmwood Park native took the pass from fellow senior Johnny Rummelhart and slotted home the winner to give his side the early advantage.

In the minutes following the goal, the Duhawks continued to pour on the pressure, earning three more corner kicks in the 10th and 11th minutes. This time, Loras had nothing to show of it on the scoreboard.

Loras' aggressive play hampered the flow of play in the first half as the Duhawks totaled 14 fouls compared to DePauw's six.

Just before the opening 45 was complete, Loras earned themselves a throw-in deep inside the Tigers' zone. After the initial delivery from senior Matt Brant was directed away from goal, Gordon found himself with space at the top of the 18 and ripped a shot on target, benefiting from a deflection 10 yards from goal and beating Chris Yount to the post to give the Duhawks a two-goal advantage.

SECOND HALF
Trailing by two, DePauw opened the second half in a new formation, putting another man forward at the expense of dropping a full back. The result was an increased amount of pressure on Loras' defense, especially in the midfield. The "Two Towers", seniors Bryan Irwin and Jorge Simon, were forced to spend much of the second half playing defense rather than winning balls in the air and joining the offense. Loras was outshot in the second half by an 8-4 margin, but DePauw's only true scoring opportunity came when a handball was called on the Duhawks in the 75th minute. EJ Moore stepped to the spot and nearly had his kick saved by sophomore Jacob Peterson, but it squeaked under Peterson's dive and into the net to cut Loras' lead in half.

The waning minutes saw little for offensive chances for either side, even with DePauw bringing Yount forward in the final minutes of play.

FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME
Jacob Peterson | Despite conceding the goal via penalty, Jacob Peterson was solid on Friday, making four saves and breaking up numerous other scoring opportunities with his sure-handedness in the air. Entering Saturday's Sectional Final, Peterson showcases a 0.78 goals against average and eight clean sheets on the year.

UP NEXT
Loras will face Wheaton on Saturday in the Sectional Championship for a chance to play in their fifth Final Four in program history. Wheaton defeated St. Olaf in overtime, 2-1, Friday evening. In their regular season matchup, the Duhawks handed the Thunder a 2-nil setback in early September.