GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – For the first time in its proud program history, the Green Bay men's soccer team can call themselves Horizon League Champions. The Phoenix needed 106 minutes to get there against visiting Belmont, but senior Audi Jepson came through once again with the game-winner on the perfect assist from fellow-senior Cody Newton and Marcos Bautista, earning the 1-0 win at Aldo Santaga Stadium on a cold Senior Night under the lights.

With construction underway on a new soccer complex, this was the last match ever to be played at the current Aldo Santaga Stadium. It's safe to say the Phoenix put on quite a show for the final pairing and paid tribute to a field that has enjoyed a rich history by clinching at least a share of the Horizon League Regular Season Title.

Green Bay improved its league-best record to 6-1-1, and most importantly earned another three points to push its total to 19 with one league match left next weekend. UIC, with its 1-0 win over Oakland on Saturday, sits at 16 points and can do no better than tie the Phoenix to share the regular season title. Additionally, Green Bay clinches a top 2 seed at the 2017 Horizon League Tournament, and can clinch the regular season outright and earn the No. 1 seed with a win or draw next Friday (Nov. 3, 6 p.m. CT) night at Northern Kentucky.

Jepson, who was honored before the game with Newton and Emmanuel Ekunseitan during the senior recognitions, finished beautifully for his league-leading ninth goal of the season and seventh goal in HL play. The Green Bay native was fed on a nice combination from Bautista to Newton, who then played Jepson for the game-winner. 

Goalkeeper Nikola Kahvedzic saved five Belmont (5-8-2, 2-6-0 HL) shots and picked up his first shutout victory of the season. The Phoenix (7-4-3, 6-1-1 HL) put five shots on goal, with the fifth and final one finding the back of the net.

The six wins in Horizon League play are tied for the most in program history and its the first first-place finish since 1992. 

Green Bay looks for the outright title next Friday night when it travels to Highland Heights, Ky., to face NKU.




















GOAL SUMMARY
106' | GB | Audi Jepson (Assist: Marcos Bautista, Cody Newton): Bautista played the ball up the out of the box to Newton on the far left of the field, where it was then centered near the top of the box to Jepson who promptly fired it into the upper-90, leaving the Belmont goalkeeper at a stand still. 

STARTING XI
Green Bay:  2-Huseini, 3-Baires, 4-Bradford, 5-Bautista, 6-Smith, 7-Zloczower, 10-Jepson, 14-Vang, 16-Mansa, 21-Lauba, 31-Kahvedzic (GK),

Belmont: 2-Brown, 3-Lucumi Villegas, 4-Efraim, 7-Lestido, 12-Vuylsteke, 15-Diekema, 16-Bennati, 21-Borgel, 24-Leo, 26-Dini (GK), 27-Sawaf




















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