On Tuesday, Nov. 5, the Oakland men’s soccer team wrapped up their regular season with a 3-1 metro-series win over the Detroit Mercy Titans on the road at Titan Field.
The win marks Oakland’s fifth in a row, a feat the Golden Grizzlies haven’t accomplished since 2021. The win also pushed Oakland to the 20-point mark in the Horizon League standings, the highest point total the team has finished with since 2021.
Finishing atop the standings is a massive deal for the Golden Grizzlies. Oakland Soccer Field will now be the site for the semi-final and championship rounds of the Horizon League soccer playoffs, giving Oakland a home-field advantage.
Against the Titans, the Golden Grizzlies dominated their rivals for most of the match. Oakland got on the board first in the 21st minute with a goal from Jack Klomparens. The goal marked Klomparens’s fourth on the season.
At the 29th-minute mark, Milan Dajic gave Oakland some breathing room with a goal. Julian Kanzler and Andrew Darakdjian assisted Dajic’s first goal of the season.
Detroit Mercy got on the scoreboard in the second half with a goal from Guershom Sylvain. However, the Golden Grizzlies shut the door on the Titans in the 75th minute with a goal from Darakdjian.
With the Golden Grizzlies finishing their season on a high mark, several team members were named to multiple Horizon League awards.
Head coach Paul Doroh was named coach of the year. This comes as no surprise, considering this is Doroh’s first season as head coach of the team. Leading the Golden Grizzlies to the top of the standings in year one under the helm is nothing short of impressive.
“I am truly humbled by this award. I know how hard every coach, team, and staff works around the Horizon League,” Doroh said in a press release. “To receive the recognition of one’s coaching peers is personally rewarding.”
“But I didn’t receive this award alone — my coaching staff and players who did the work on and off the field equally deserve credit for me receiving this recognition.”
Along with Doroh, goalkeeper Alex Flowers was awarded the Goalkeeper of the Year title. Flowers made clutch plays in big games all season long for the Golden Grizzlies.
Notably, Flowers’s ten saves against Cleveland State tie for the most saves among all Horizon League goalies this season. Additionally, Flowers’s nine saves against Michigan State were enough for the second-most saves in a game this season.
“Alex has been a source of confidence for us in goal this whole season. I’m really happy for Alex. He has worked very hard. It is a fitting award for a player that has been consistently performing at the level Alex has,” Doroh said in a press release.
In addition to being Goalkeeper of the Year, Flowers was named to the all-league first-team, with midfielder Carson Ballagh, defender Jace Foster and defender Zachary Townsend joining him on the list.
The accolades didn’t stop there for the team either, as midfielder Abdul Al-rashed was named an all-league second-team selection. On top of that, Foster was the co-winner of the sportsmanship award along with Milwuakee’s David Cox.
Postseason Outlook
The Golden Grizzlies will start their postseason in the semi-final round against the Green Bay Phoenix at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14, at the Oakland Soccer Field.
If Oakland defeats Green Bay, the team will clinch a championship berth for the second year in a row and will play the winner of the Robert Morris and Milwaukee game on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 1 p.m. at the Oakland Soccer Field.
In the event the Golden Grizzlies win the Oakland Horizon League championship, the team will clinch a spot in the NCAA Division I men’s soccer tournament for the eighth time in program history.
