UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - The Davenport men's soccer team was trying to slay the giant on their home turf on Sunday afternoon in the GLIAC Tournament Final. No. 4 Saginaw Valley State held off a hard-charging Panther squad to win the tournament with a 3-2 win to improve to 14-0-4 overall this season. Davenport gave the Cardinals a battle for 90 minutes in a back-and-forth match that came down to the wire. Davenport finishes their season with an overall record of 8-8-3 and needed today's win to get into the NCAA Tournament with the league's automatic berth.

The Panthers were the aggressor with a total of 21 shots including nine shots on goal. They had 12 shots in the first half and nine in the second half. Saginaw Valley State had just four shots in the first half and added seven in the second half. They also had four shots on goal and had a high percentage with three finding the mark.

Matt Whelan playing in his final game as a Panther was taken down from behind in the box in the 12th minute and was awarded a penalty kick. He calmly buried it in the left side of the net as the goalkeeper dove in the opposite direction. The Cardinals tied it up in the 31st minute as Jayden Cameron scored his fourth goal of the season. Brady Walker was given the assist but Cameron did most of the work as he curved a ball from 22 yards into the top right corner on a magnificent strike.

The Cardinals gained a 2-1 lead just over five minutes into the second half. Jonathan Monney, the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Year, scored his 16th goal with an assist from Phila Dlamini. There was a foul to the right of the box about 3 yards out and Dlamini took the free kick and delivered into the middle of the box. Monney jumped above the pack and buried a header in the middle below the crossbar in the 51st minute.

Davenport responded in the 58th minute as Whelan scored his 16th goal of the season. Eoin Broughan drove a free kick into the box and George Deveau put a head on it. It dropped down to Whelan who drilled the ball low left corner from about nine yards with the equalizer.

The Cardinals wasted no time scoring the winner just 26 seconds later. Chidie Nnolim took a pass from Monney on the right side and carried into the box. He made two quick moves to create enough space to get a wicked left foot on the ball and curved it into the top left corner right where the left post and crossbar meet. It was a shot that was placed perfectly and nothing the Panthers could do to prevent the score. Nnolim's second goal of the season held up as the Panthers did have three shots on goal from that point. The last attempt came with one second left as Micaiah Papa's shot was saved by Nick Kay.