The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's soccer team registered a thrilling 3-2 win over UW-Platteville to hold possession of the Shaymus Guinn Cup for the fourth consecutive season.
 
The Warhawks trailed the majority of the contest but never folded using a pair of fantastic goals in the final 11 minutes of play to seal the win. Prior to the start of the game, UWW recognized the 2022 senior class including goalkeeper Jake King (McHenry, Ill./McHenry West), defenders Matthew Waters (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard South), Evan Donini (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha West), and Mariano Carini (Whitefish Bay, Wis./Whitefish Bay), midfielders Andres Villarreal (Racine, Wis./St. Catherine's) and Will Hamilton (Lake Geneva, Wis./Badger), and forward Jalen Holley (Milwaukee, Wis./Wauwatosa East).
 
The Pioneers opened the scoring in the 12^th minute. Waters had a shot at the equalizer but was thwarted by the UWP keeper just two minutes later.
 
King held the Pioneers at one with a big save in the 37^th minute to round out the shots on frame in the first half.
 
On the other side of the intermission, a loose ball in the box found the foot of Zack Kristy (Burr Ridge, Ill./Lyons Township) for the equalizer. Holley registered the assist on the goal in the 48^th minute.
 
The Pioneers reclaimed the lead less than two minutes later with a goal to make it 2-1.
 
With just over 10 minutes to go, Kristy launched a throw-in deep into the box. Holley used his height and vertical to rise above all of the defenders and head it back across goal into the low left corner to knot the game 2-2.
 
King turned away a Platteville shot less than two minutes later, and came up with another big save in the 82^nd minute.
 
In the 83^rd, the Warhawks got the ball deep in their offensive zone. Faizan Mohiuddin (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) settled a pass in near the left side of the box. With the defender on his back, he turned back toward the middle and fired a pass into the middle of the box. Waters had a perfect first touch to set up a blast with his left foot that beat the keeper as he charged out to give UWW a 3-2 lead.
 
The Warhawk defense didn't allow a shot the rest of the way.
 
UW-Whitewater will head to Salisbury, Maryland for the Coast-to-Coast Men's Soccer Championship. The top two seeds will receive a first-round bye. Quarterfinal action is slated to begin Thursday, November 3 with semifinals Friday and the championship is scheduled for Sunday, November 6. Official seedings/matchups have yet to be announced.
 
The Shaymus Guinn Cup is named in honor of the son of head coach Tony Guinn, who passed away in 2012 at the age of 11 after a five-year battle with pediatric cancer and chemotherapy induced A.L.L. leukemia.
 
The Shaymus Guinn Foundation benefits awareness for pediatric cancer and assists families coping with the disease. Visit the foundation's web page to learn more.