Tweet #theGAC  CLAREMORE, Okla. – A 35^th minute goal by Rogers State’s Jordan Watson proved all the scoring needed by the Hillcats as they defeated Northeastern State by that 1-0 count to win the 2021 GAC/MIAA Men’s Soccer Spring Championship title on Friday night.
 
Watson corralled a long pass from Luke Morgan and chipped a shot over RiverHawk goalkeeper Niklas Kirhoff for his fourth goal of the spring season. The Hillcats (6-0-2) successfully defended their narrow advantage over the final 55 minutes. They survived a last-minute attack by the RiverHawks (5-3) as a header hit off the crossbar and a second header, this time by Kirhoff found the arms of his opposite number, Dillon Dean.
 
The Hillcats became the first team to win the Men’s Soccer Championship title on their home field since Ouachita in 2015. They joined Ouachita championship squads in 2017 and 2018 as the two repeat champions in league history.
 
Hillcat defender Michael Turner earned Tournament MVP honors. Watson, Dean, Callum Hubble and Jaxon Pitt joined Turner on the All-Tournament Team. Dean made a pair of saves to conclude the GAC/MIAA Championships with two clean sheets.
 
Northeastern State placed James Doyle, Flynn Semmerling and Luis Soler on the All-Tournament Team. Fort Hays State’s Blake Arndt and Alec Bevis as well as Southern Nazarene’s Federico Anzoletti and Alexandre Da Silva filled out the All-Tournament Team.