Union Commonwealth, Truett McConnell Advance to AAC Championship With 4-1 Wins
| 1H | 2H | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIL | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| UNI | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 1H | 2H | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PIK | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| TRU | 1 | 3 | 4 |
ATHENS, Tenn. - Union Commonwealth (17-3-0) defeated Milligan (TN) 4-1, and Truett McConnell (14-2-2) beat Pikeville (KY) by the same score Saturday, Nov. 7, in the semifinal round of the 2026 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) men's soccer tournament.
In the first semifinal, No. 2 seed Union Commonwealth built a two-goal lead against No. 6 seed Milligan (11-6-3) at Williamson Stadium in Barbourville, Ky. Akim Soulemana scored his ninth goal of the season at 10:30 off an assist from Diego Yanes Garcia. Goalkeeper Tommy Dymott stopped Freddie Zinn at 18:52 before Ron-Jay Watson made it 2-0 at 26:45, finishing Noah Bender's assist for his second goal of the season. Milligan substitute Trotter Jones answered at 37:44, scoring his fifth goal of the season from Javier Salgado's assist to cut the deficit to 2-1 before halftime.
Milligan remained within one goal until late in the second half, with Zinn shooting wide at 68:21. Garcia restored Union Commonwealth's two-goal advantage at 79:43 off Donte Campbell's assist, bringing his season total to 14 goals. Sergi Cruz saved a Watson shot at 81:31, but Gianni Loska scored his first goal of the season at 83:04 from Garcia's second assist. Garcia finished with a goal and two assists as Union Commonwealth held advantages of 15-3 in shots and 7-2 in shots on goal. Dymott made one save, while Cruz finished with three.
In the second semifinal, No. 1 seed Truett McConnell broke a halftime tie against No. 5 seed Pikeville (7-8-4) at TMU Soccer Complex in Cleveland, Ga. Goalkeeper Jakob Hendrickson denied Jakub Rus at 8:06, and Roman Reynolds put the hosts ahead at 9:08 with Nick Jeising assisting after a corner kick. Rus equalized at 29:32 from Martin Larraguibel's assist, sending the teams into halftime tied 1-1.
Pikeville goalkeeper Alejandro Iglesias stopped James Aspinall at 53:47 to keep the match level. Jovica Lazarevic converted a penalty kick at 61:41 for what proved to be the winning goal, and Hendrickson preserved the 2-1 lead by saving Dylan Roberts' shot at 67:58. Guillermo Peino gave Truett McConnell a two-goal cushion with an unassisted finish at 78:01. Yannick Niyibigira hit the crossbar at 82:13 before Thomas Hill completed the scoring at 88:56 off Jeising's second assist.
Truett McConnell outshot Pikeville 19-11, including 12-5 in the second half, and held a 7-4 edge in shots on goal. Lazarevic led the hosts with six shots, while Rus and Roberts each registered three shots and two on goal for Pikeville. Hendrickson and Iglesias finished with three saves apiece. Truett McConnell will host Union Commonwealth in the championship game Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 7:30 p.m. in Cleveland, Ga.
uReport has been awarded the prestigious ISTE Seal. To earn the ISTE Seal, our product underwent rigorous evaluation by a distinguished panel of experts in education, instruction, and technology. uReport was reviewed and vetted for its alignment with effective teaching and learning practices, including support for research-backed teaching practices, authentic learning, digital citizenship, and responsible use of AI. uReport has also earned 1EdTech TrustEd Apps certification for Data Privacy, providing additional independent validation of our commitment to protecting student data and supporting trusted use in educational environments.
