SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. -- The men's soccer program at Shawnee State battled back from a 1-0 deficit to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods at the halftime break, utilizing a 49th minute goal by Clement Akanyah to salvage a 1-1 tie Saturday afternoon in a River States Conference matchup that was held at SMWC Soccer Field in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind.

Shawnee State, who now sits 7-4-4 on the year and 3-3-2 in River States Conference action with the tie, was outshot by a 7-2 margin in the opening half by Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, but played in a much crisper fashion in the second half as the Bears outshot the Pomeroys 9-6 in the frame.

A pair of seniors ultimately helped Shawnee State obtain the result it needed as Akanyah and Nikos Pontikis teamed up for the lone goal on the Bears' side. Pontikis' pass to Akanyah resulted in the latter, a defensive midfielder throughout his career, scoring his fourth goal of his Shawnee State career in his 46th career game with the Bears.

With his assist, Pontikis moved to three goals, four assists and 10 points in 2025. The senior sits second on the team in assists and points and is tied for second on the squad in goals scored. Pontikis also now has 15 career goals and 10 career assists for an even 40 points across his four seasons in a Shawnee State uniform.

Shawnee State will turn its attention to its final contest of the regular season as the Bears face Midway (Ky.) at 7:30 p.m. in a match that will be held in Midway, Ky.

If Shawnee State wins the contest, the Bears lock up no worse than the No. 5 seed and could potentially host a River States Conference Quarterfinal matchup -- which would be Wednesday, Nov. 5 at a time to be determined -- by earning a No. 4 seed if Saint Mary-of-the-Woods ties or drops two out of its final three matches. A loss would put the No. 4 through No. 6 seeds up for grabs between the Bears, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Midway and Brescia (Ky.).