ROCHESTER, Mich. — The Golden Grizzlies fell 2-1 to IU Indy in their regular season finale in a heated match that saw three red cards handed out, two to the Jags, as the regular season came to a close.
The match began with Oakland taking an aggressive approach, dominating possession and launching multiple attacks.
Gabriel Baylon tested IU Indy's goalkeeper early with a shot in the seventh minute, but it was saved. Despite several attempts, including shots by
Marco Mazzei and
Nour Aoude, Oakland could not find the net initially.
Oakland's persistence paid off in the 27th minute when Aoude scored his first career goal with a header on an assist from
Noah Roka, putting Oakland ahead. Oakland kept an attacking approach, doubling up IU Indy on shots (16-to-8) in the match. The Golden Grizzlies held their 1-0 lead at the end of the opening 45 minutes.
Oakland began the second half maintaining their strong offensive presence, quickly taking a shot in the 46th minute by
Tyler Matuzak, though it went wide. Oakland continued to press, with Baylon also attempting to score in the 52nd minute, but the attack was not converted into a goal.
The Jags responded with pressure, culminating in a missed penalty kick by Tyson Aschliman at the 61st minute. Despite the defensive efforts of
Cole Thompson, IU Indy broke through with a goal by Nikolai Zapolskikh in the 74th minute, evening the score.
The Jags would make a dramatic push late, taking the lead with a goal by Bali Esquivel in the 88th minute. Oakland's Mazzei aimed to respond with a shot in the final moments, but it was saved. The game ended with IU Indy securing a 2-1 victory over Oakland.
Aoude scored one goal and registered two shots, with one being on target. Baylon led the team with five shots, two of which were on goal. Roka contributed with an assist and took one shot during the match. Allos also added three shots, putting two on goal.
With the result, Oakland locks in the six seed in the Horizon League Championship, where they will travel to Green Bay for the Quarterfinals on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. CT (2 p.m. ET).
