Horizon League Men’s Soccer First Round
FINAL: Robert Morris 2, Milwaukee 1
Match Stats
With the match potentially headed to extra time, Robert Morris senior midfielder Anass Hadran buried a penalty kick in the 88th minute to lift the RMU men’s soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Milwaukee in the Horizon League Men’s Soccer Quarterfinal on Sunday afternoon.
With the win, the defending champion Colonials improve to 6-3-7 overall and advance to the Semifinal Round of the Horizon League Championship for the second straight season.
“We try to manage the game wisely. Winning last year has given us more experience of how to handle being ahead,” Hardan said.
“We have a great group that fights every single minute. (Goalkeeper) Josh Lane had a big performance today saving Milwaukee’s PK — he’s a great goalkeeper.”
The Colonials will take on Cleveland State on Wednesday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Milwaukee came out strong and dictated possession early, firing six shots in the opening 15 minutes.
Senior captain William Dodzi Afawubo provided the spark that shifted momentum, ripping off three shots in a two-minute stretch to help RMU settle into the match. The Colonials’ back line tightened up and didn’t allow a single Milwaukee shot attempt over the final 30 minutes of the half.
RMU closed the opening 45 with seven shots — five from Afawubo alone.
Just one minute into the second half, the Colonials broke through. Senior Fabian Overkamp cleared a ball out of midfield and into the attacking third, where Kosi Udeh corralled it through traffic. Hadran joined the counter and received a feed from Udeh outside the left corner of the 18. He then curled a highlight-reel strike into the far corner, giving RMU a 1-0 lead.
In the 55th minute, Milwaukee earned a penalty after a player was taken down in the box.
Josh Lane guessed correctly, stretching out for a full extension save to keep the Panthers off the board.
However, moments later, Milwaukee equalized as Jack Bretzmann snuck behind the back line to level the match at 1-1. A minute later, Overkamp nearly restored the lead, but his shot rattled off the woodwork.
With the season on the line, both teams traded dangerous chances in the closing minutes. The decisive moment came in the 88th, when Riley Cotton drew a penalty in the box. Hadran stepped up to the spot and calmly slotted home the game-winner for his second of the day.
“We’re looking forward to our next match. We know it won’t be easy. We want to win again and make it back to the final.”
RMU travels to Cleveland, Ohio to face top-seeded Cleveland State in the Semifinal Round on Wednesday, November 12 at 4:00 PM ET at Krenzler Field.
The match will air live on ESPN+
RMU MSOC MATCH NOTES
- RMU outshot Milwaukee 20–18; the Panthers held a 7–6 edge in shots on goal. Afawubo recorded a career-high seven shot attempts.
- Milwaukee earned five corner kicks, while RMU tallied two.
- Eight Colonials played all 90 minutes: Overkamp, Hadran, Udeh, Afawubo, Jaxson Lee, Kevin Gorbell, Victor Koah, and Miguel Dominguez.
- Lane finished with five saves, matching his postseason career-high (also five vs. Oakland in last year’s final).
HADRAN HEATING UP AT THE RIGHT TIME
The senior midfielder has now scored in four straight matches, totaling five goals and one assist over that span. Today marked his first career multi-goal game.
Hadran becomes just the third Colonial in program history to score multiple goals in a postseason match. The last to accomplish the feat was Jacek Przednowek, who recorded a hat trick in the 2005 NEC Final vs. Monmouth. Musa Shannon was the first, netting three in the 1996 NEC Semifinal vs. Mount St. Mary’s.
Hadran now owns six goals and four assists on the season. His goal total is tied for second in the Horizon League, and his 16 points rank fourth in the conference. In his career, he’s tallied 14 goals, 16 assists and 44 points.
POWER FORWARD
Udeh continues to be a key driver of RMU’s playoff push. The junior forward has produced a goal and two assists over the last two matches. His late-season form mirrors last year, when he scored in four straight league games to close the regular season.
