LAKE FOREST, Ill. – In the history of Grinnell College men's soccer, the Pioneers had never beaten a higher seed – let alone the top seed – at the Midwest Conference Tournament.
 
Those historical facts came to a screeching halt Friday, as the fourth-seeded Pioneers avenged an earlier loss to top-seeded and regionally-ranked Lake Forest College to win 1-0 in a semifinal on the latter's field.
 
The victory propels the Pioneers to the championship game of the tourney for the first time since 2009. There they will play St. Norbert, the seventh-ranked team in the North Region, at noon Saturday.

They also halted a six-game winless streak to Lake Forest, the 10th-ranked team in the North Region, dating back to 2011.
 
Grinnell, playing in its 18th MWC Tournament and making its ninth title game appearance, also had its women's team win, making this the first time since 1993 that both Pioneer men and women played for MWC Tourney soccer crowns.
 
Grinnell, which earlier this season led the Foresters until the final four minutes of the game and then went on to lose, improved to 11-6-1 with the win. That is the team's best mark since 2008. Lake Forest dipped to 11-8.
 
Nick Brule '17, who has been an offensive force all season for the Pioneers, proved to be Friday as he scored the lone goal in the game in the 28th minute. That boosted his team-high total to 12 goals.
 
Major May '17 continued his stellar season at keeper by earning his fourth shutout, making seven saves in the process.
 
Lake Forest did win the shots battle 16-13. Brule had two shots for Grinnell, as did Antonio DiMarco '18 and Evan Sorenson '19. Taking one shot apiece were Artis Curiskis '18, Noah Fluharty '19, Carlos Piedrasanta '20, Juan Marin '18 and Thomas Pflipsen '20.
 
The winner of Saturday's game claims the tourney crown and earns the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III National Tournament.