Worcester, Mass. - In one of the most exciting finishes to a postseason contest, the No. 6 seed Adelphi University men's soccer team advanced to Wednesday's semifinal round with a 4-3 shootout decision over third-seeded Assumption University Saturday night at Brian Kelly Stadium, in the quarterfinals of the 2022 NE10 Championship.

A miss by Benji Jones on the first penalty of the shootout competition put the Panthers (8-4-5) in an early hole, as Assumption (7-5-4) converted on its first two tries.

That miss was Adelphi's only of the night. Once Alessio Consoli leveled the score of the shootout at 2-2, Daniel De La Heras came up with a crucial right-handed save to keep it tied.

Matteo Lazzarini and Patrick Wilson both converted from the spot to keep the pressure on the Greyhounds. Needing to score to keep it going, Hunter LePage put Assumption's last try off the left post.

"An unbelievable team performance to win a quite remarkable game. The situation required the whole group to step up and they excelled in every element of the game," said Head Coach Gary Book.

The match first concluded in a 2-2 draw after 110 minutes of action.

Victor Castel, who scored his only road goal of the season at Assumption back on Oct. 1, staked the Panthers to a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute.

From almost twenty yards out, Castel -- off a re-start -- sniped a shot from the left flank through a tight window between the keeper and the left post.

A red card issued to Filippo Peri in the 38th minute would force the Panthers to have the weather the storm with 10 players for over seventy minutes.

The match turned on the Brown and Gold late in the second half, with Assumption burying a pair of goals to take the lead. A re-directed cross had the game hanging in the balance again though

With under seven minutes to play, Adelphi countered in search of the equalizer, and Castel -- forcing the action -- played a cross that glazed off an Assumption defender into the net.

The Panthers are set to play in the semifinals of the NE10 Tournament for the first time since 2018, and will host No. 7 seed Le Moyne College on Wednesday (Nov. 2) at Motamed Field.