RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The UW-River Falls men's soccer team saw its 2026 season come to a close Wednesday afternoon, falling 2-1 to UW-Stevens Point in the first round of the WIAC Tournament at Ramer Field.
Despite outshooting the Pointers 20-11, including a 14-5 advantage in the second half, the fourth-seeded Falcons were unable to overcome an early deficit, finishing their season with an 8-7-4 overall record.
UW-Stevens Point opened the scoring in the eighth minute as Jaxon Buckley found the back of the net off an assist from Amayo Bardeguez-Barrera, giving the Pointers a 1-0 lead.
The Falcons responded with several scoring opportunities throughout the opening half.
Carter Eklund recorded UWRF's first shot on goal in the 11th minute, while
Ben Harris,
Hunter Berry and
Elijah Lund each forced saves from UW-Stevens Point goalkeeper Aissen Witter.
UW-Stevens Point extended its advantage early in the second half, with Buckley scoring his second goal of the afternoon in the 53rd minute off an assist from Marcelo Chavez to put the visitors ahead 2-0.
Trailing by two, the Falcons generated several scoring chances throughout the second half. Lund,
Gabriel Abad Lobo and Berry each placed shots on goal, but Witter continued to keep UWRF off the scoreboard.
The Falcons broke through in the 75th minute after drawing a foul inside the penalty area.
Ilya Lalich stepped up to take the penalty kick, converting the opportunity to cut the deficit to 2-1 with just over 15 minutes remaining.
UWRF recorded five additional shots following Lalich's goal.
Sam Everakes nearly brought the Falcons level in the 89th minute, but his shot was turned away by Witter as UW-Stevens Point held on for the one-goal victory.
Lund led the Falcons offensively with five shots, including three on goal, while Harris and Berry each added three attempts. Abad Lobo added two shots on goal, and Lalich finished with two shots and the Falcons' lone goal.
In net,
Greyson Shiek recorded three saves for UWRF, while Witter finished with 10 saves for the Pointers.
The Falcons conclude their 2026 campaign with an 8-7-4 overall record, a 2-3-1 mark in WIAC play.
