GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – The top-seeded Green Bay men's soccer team took down No. 6-seeded Detroit Mercy, 3-1, in the Horizon League Tournament Semifinals at Flames Field in Chicago, Ill., on Thursday night. The Phoenix now advances to the tournament championship on Saturday at 6 p.m. and will face tournament host and No. 2 seed UIC.
 
The Horizon League's Offensive Player of the Year, Audi Jepson, found the back of the net two times on the evening to help ensure a place in the championship match on Saturday. Fellow first-team selection Tomer Zloczower also buried a shot into the back of the Titans' goal to add some insurance in the 3-1 victory.
 
Both Green Bay and Detroit Mercy matched one another in shots (10) and shots on goal (7), but the offensive attack of the Phoenix proved to be more reliable on the evening. Phoenix goalkeeper Nikola Khavedzic tallied six saves in his 90 minutes of protecting the net.
 
Jepson finished the night with four shots, three shots on goal and two goals in 78 minutes of action. Zloczower logged two shots on the night and placed his lone on-goal attempt in the back of the Titans' net.
 
Robleh Omar forced Detroit Mercy's defense to account for him in his 23 minutes on the pitch and finished with two shots, placing both on goal.
 
The win marks the first time since the 2011 season that Green Bay has advanced to the Championship Round. The last time the Phoenix was crowned tournament champions was in the 2009 season, which also marks the only NCAA Division I Tournament appearance as well.

With a win on Saturday afternoon over the Flames, GB would punch its ticket to the 2017 NCAA Division I Soccer Tournament. The Phoenix will look to beat UIC when it matters most, having lost 3-1 at Flames Field back on Oct. 7, the only loss GB suffered in HL play all season. The game will be streamed live on ESPN3.
 
GOAL SUMMARY
30' | GB | Audi Jepson  (Assist: Andre Baires): Baires pushed the ball to Jepson who sent an angled shot from the left wing out of the keeper's reach. The goal was Jepson's 10th of the season.
 
37' | UDM | Kyle Bandyk (Assists: Jake Reitzloff, Dalton Amez): Shot from 10 yards away on goal after a free kick.
 
50' | GB | Audi Jepson (Assist: Brady Lenius): After collecting a rebound off a save, Lenius moved the ball to Jepson for his 11^th goal of the season.
 
73' | GB | Tomer Zloczower (Unassisted): After navigating through the Titans' backline, Zloczower was able to chip a shot over the keeper to secure a 3-1 victory for Green Bay.


 
STARTING XI
Green Bay:  2-Huseini, 3-Baires, 4-Bradford, 5-Bautista, 6-Smith, 7-Zloczower, 10-Jepson, 12-Newton, 14-Vang, 16-Mansa, 31-Kahvedzic (GK),

Detroit Mercy: 1-Beckwell, 2-Weaver, 4-Hughes, 5-Amez, 6-Solomon, 7-Pliakos, 12-Bandyk, 16-Clauss, 18-Moorman, 22-Harrison, 27-Schueneman
 
###                       
 
For the latest and most up-to-date information on Green Bay Athletics and Green Bay Men's Soccer, please visit GreenBayPhoenix.com.

Follow us on Twitter: @GBPhoenix and @GBPhoenixMSOC 

Like Green Bay Phoenix Athletics and Green Bay Phoenix Men's Soccer on Facebook.

---GreenBayPhoenix.com---