HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Kyle Schraier (St. Louis, Mo./Christian Brothers College ) and David Kekec (St. Louis, Mo./Ladue) scored goals in a span of 2:16 in the latter stages of the game Friday to give 21st-ranked Missouri S&T a 3-1 victory over No. 12 Ashland in their opening round contest in the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Tournament at Northern Kentucky University.

Schraier's goal, his third of the season, came off an assist from Mario Calderon (Mexico City, Mexico/ITESM), came after he got a cross and put home a shot from seven yards away with 6:25 to go in regulation time.  Moments later, Kekec took a cross from Schraier, wheeled and put home a shot from 10 yards out to extend the lead to two goals.

With the win, the Miners advance to Sunday's regional championship game at noon (Central time), where they will face host Northern Kentucky.  Fourth-ranked NKU scored late in regulation time to tie Quincy, then scored again in overtime to beat the Hawks 2-1 in the other semifinal contest Friday night.

The Miners broke on top in the early moments of its first NCAA Division II Tournament game, as Trent Doerner (Spring, Texas/Klein Oak) scored 10:13 into play. Doerner took a pass from Jervis Atagana (Columbia, Mo./Hickman ) and hit a shot from about 15 yards into the upper right corner to put S&T in front. The Miners got three of the first four shots off in the contest and scored on the third one.

However, the Eagles tied the game a little over 17 minutes later after a Miner foul gave them a free kick opportunity from 19 yards away. Dollar converted the free kick to knot the score at one.

Ashland had a 6-4 advantage in shots in the opening half and had three shots on goal to S&T's one.  Pat McNamee (Fenton, Mo./Vianney ) made two saves in the first 45 minutes for the Miners.

S&T has had some good scoring chances in the second half, but Sam Shaffer (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville) has had two shots turned away by AU goalkeeper Justin Nolan and David Kekec (St. Louis, Mo./Ladue) also had a chance that Nolan stopped.  The game went back-and-forth for much of the second half, until Schraier broke the tie with 6:25 remaining.

The back-to-back goals by Schraier and Kekec marked the seventh time this season that the Miners have scored twice in a span of 10 minutes or less and is the third-fastest consecutive tallies S&T has had on the year.

The Miners (11-5-3) outshot the Eagles 15-13 and had six shots on goal to AU's four in the contest.  McNamee finished the game with three saves.