A perfect round of penalty kicks and a big save sent the Muhlenberg men's soccer team to the second round of the Centennial Conference playoffs.

After playing third-seeded Haverford to a 1-1 tie, the sixth-seeded Mules won the shootout, 5-3, to earn the right to travel to top-seeded Dickinson for a semifinal game on Friday night.

Sophomore Owen Zoeller broke a scoreless deadlock in the 61st minute with a rocket shot from well outside the box for his first goal of the season. It also broke a long scoring drought for the Mules (8-2-9), who were shut out in their last five CC games. 

The Fords (10-0-10) tied the game by putting in a direct kick from just outside the box in the 82nd minute.

Senior Taye Edwards, playing in only the third game of his career, preserved the tie by making a save at close range with just seconds remaining in the second overtime. Edwards had taken over when senior starter Ben Mulford went down with an injury midway through the first half.

Muhlenberg shot first in the penalty kicks, and senior Omar Lopez - who didn't play in the game - buried his attempt. On Haverford's first try, Edwards made a diving save to his right.

That meant that the Mules only had to make all their PKs to advance, and they did just that. Junior Sam Roberts, sophomore Saleem Diakite, and Zoeller followed Lopez. The Fords made all of their attempts to put the score at 4-3 entering the final round.

Senior Elie Khalil, who nearly ended the game on a free kick in the first overtime, only to have the Haverford goalie make a great save, this time did end the game, putting his penalty into the net with the Ford goalie going in the opposite direction.

Muhlenberg has now advanced to the second round of the CC playoffs four straight years. The Mules are 6-1-3 in CC playoff games during that span and, including a 2022 NCAA Tournament game, have won three of their last four shootouts.