KINGSTON, R.I.  – In the most dramatic match of the tournament so far, No. 5 seed Davidson advanced 5-4 over No. 4 seed Rhode Island in a penalty kick shootout on Saturday to close out the A10 Men’s Soccer Tournament Quarterfinals.
 
Davidson 2, Rhode Island 2 (Davidson advances 5-4 on penalty kicks) – Box Score
 
Neither team scored in the first half, but not for lack of trying. Both goalkeepers made several strong saves to keep the match scoreless.
 
The offensive firepower ramped up in the second half. Davidson broke through first, as senior defender Patrick Ward slipped past the Rhode Island defense to put the Wildcats ahead 1-0 in the 71^st minute.
 
Davidson forward Aiden Boudro added another on a header in the 84^th minute, extending the Wildcat lead to 2-0. Rhode Island midfielder Tiago Barriguinha fought right back, though, burying a penalty kick opportunity moments later to keep the Rams within reach.
 
Rhode Island continued to rally. Forward Daniel Goba converted from short range in the 86^th minute, tying the game 2-2 and sending it to extra time.
 
The Rams nearly won the match within the first minute of extra time, hitting the crossbar on an attacking effort. Rhode Island goalkeeper William Synnestvedt made a spectacular save to stop a point-blank opportunity for Davidson soon after, keeping Rhode Island alive.
 
Still tied after two periods of extra time, the match went to penalty kicks. Rhode Island got off to a slow start by missing its first three attempts, but Synnestvedt continued to put the team on his back by saving three Davidson penalty attempts in a row.
 
The teams continued to trade blows until Davidson finally broke the tie on its ninth penalty shot. Senior defender Hampton Hughes found the back of the net, before Wildcats goalkeeper Lucas Beltran came up with the game-winning save on Rhode Island’s ensuing attempt.

Synnestvedt finished the game with nine saves, as well as four during the penalty kick shootout. Beltran logged three saves, as well as two shootout stops.
 
With the victory, Davidson will face No. 2 seed Saint Louis in the Atlantic 10 Men’s Soccer Tournament Semifinals on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 5 p.m. ET.