GALESBURG, Ill. – Facing a seemingly impossible situation, the Grinnell College men's soccer team - led by its strong senior class - showed the grit for which it has become known.
 
The Pioneers, playing down a man nearly the entire game due to a red card, rallied to knock off regionally-ranked and top-seeded Knox College 3-2 in overtime Friday in the Midwest Conference Tournament semifinal round.
 
The Pioneers handed the North Region's No. 9 team its first home loss of the season and scored three times on a squad that had given up only one goal during the entire run of MWC play.
 
Grinnell will face either St. Norbert College or Lake Forest College in the title game at 2 p.m. Saturday. The tourney champ earns the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
 
"That is the best win I've ever been associated with, either as a coach or player," said Grinnell mentor Brian Jaworski. "The difference in the game was that after the red card and penalty kick, we spent only a minute-and-a-half feeling sorry for ourselves. Then we started searching for goals and got the equalizer.
 
"After they scored again, we searched for another equalizer and got it," he added. "The deciding factor after that is we knew we had to make plays all over the field, and that's what we did. That proved to be the difference."
 
After a Grinnell red card in the third minute of play, Knox converted the penalty kick for a 1-0 lead and a one-man advantage the rest of the way.
 
But the Pioneers refused to fold and tied it in the 40th minute on a goal by Carlos Piedrasanta '20, his third of the season. On the play, there was a scramble in the right side of the box before Piedrasanta sent the ball into the net.
 
The game remained 1-all through halftime before Knox grabbed a 2-1 lead in the 64th minute.
 
Again, the Pioneers refused to back down as four minutes later Antonio DiMarco '18 drilled in a shot for his team-high 13th goal of the year. On the play, DiMarco gained control of the ball at midfield and worked past two defenders to the left side of the box. He sent a high-arching shot past the keeper into the net.
 
Both teams had chances the rest of regulation but couldn't convert, forcing overtime.
 
It was an even battle in the extra period before Grinnell began a counter play. DiMarco streaked down the left side of the field and booted a ball into classmate Artis Curiskis '18, who was running stride-for-stride with his teammae into the box and promptly delivered the game-winner in the 94th minute.
 
It marked the fourth goal of the season for Curiskis and team-high seventh assist for DiMarco.
 
Grinnell, which broke a five-game winless streak against Knox dating back to 2012, is making its 10th appearance in the MWC Tourney title game and second in a row. Grinnell is now 9-8-1, while Knox fell to 13-3-4.
 
Grinnell managed six shots in the game, one apiece by Francisco Sanchez-Conde '18, Curiskis, DiMarco, Piedrasanta, Evan Sorenson '19 and Sam Collins '18.
 
Jared Cloutier '20 played the whole game at keeper for Grinnell had had five saves.
 
The game improved some Pioneers' standing in the Grinnell record books. DiMarco now has 33 points this season, sixth-best at Grinnell, 13 goals which ranks seventh and seven assists which is sixth.
 
Additionally, Grinnell's 94 points as a team this year is tied for third-best in program history and the 24 assists rank fourth.
 
"I can't say we wanted it more than Knox, because they did too, but our guys had a lot of intangibles," said Jaworski. "That showed up today. Everybody played well, but we relied on our seniors. When you get good games from them, it's a catalyst and motivates the others. We'll enjoy this until 5 or 6 tonight, and then get ready for another game."
 
A Grinnell win Saturday would put the Pioneers in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009.