The Snow College men's soccer team has been crowned the Scenic West Athletic Conference Tournament Champions after a goal by Zachary Lifferth with 23 seconds left in the match lifting the Badgers over undefeated Salt Lake Community College Saturday.
 
The Bruins entered the match with an unblemished 12-0-1 record and were the No. 1 ranked team in the country.  They defeated the College of Southern Nevada in the first round of the SWAC tournament to set up the match with the Badgers.
 
Snow College had lost both its matchups to the Bruins in the regular season.  SLCC won 1-0 in double overtime in Taylorsville Sept. 1 and won in Ephraim by a 2-0 final score Oct. 15.  The Bruins had been ranked 2^nd in the NJCAA Division I Men's Soccer Rankings since week one of the regular season and had climbed to the top of the list Oct. 17. 
 
Snow College had not beaten the Bruins in a match since October 27, 2018.  That match was a 3-2 victory to claim the 2018 SWAC Championship.  Since that time, the Badgers were 0-9-1 against SLCC including two SWAC Tournament Championship losses in 2019 and 2021.
 
In total, the Badgers have participated in the SWAC Championship in six out of its seven years of existence including three Tournament Titles. Snow College won it in back-to-back years in 2017 and 2018.
 
Saturday's match is one to live on in the program's memory for years to come.  The Badgers got on the board early as Hugo Champalloux gave them a 1-0 lead in the 14^th minute.  Snow College capitalized on a breakaway that saw Champalloux streak down the field.  He shook his defender and had only the keeper to beat.  He blasted a shot just out of reach and found the left side of the goal giving the Badgers the early advantage.  
 
Snow College's defense held up throughout the remaining minutes of the first half, and they would take the 1-0 lead into the break.  SLCC would stun the Badgers scoring two goals, one on a rebounded penalty kick, in just over a minute to take a 2-1 lead in the blink of an eye.  
 
With the lead, the Bruins were afforded the option to sit back in their zone and play defense.  The Badgers would eventually break through in the 75^th minute.  Snow College sent in a corner kick.  The initial attempt was deflected outside of the box.  The loose ball was tracked down and served back into the box where Itsuki Matsuyama headed it to Nathan Banza who headed it in for the equalizer.
 
With the score sitting at 2-2 and overtime imminent, Snow College struck again with just 23 seconds left to go in regulation.  It was Lifferth who gave the Badgers the 3-2 lead.  Lifferth was the hero in the first round of the tournament scoring two goals in the 3-1 victory over Utah State University Eastern Thursday.
 
SLCC controlled the ball with under a minute remaining.  They fed a pass down the field that was taken into the Badger's 18-yard box with 37 seconds left.  The ball was punched out and turned into a Snow College breakaway.  Oliver Fehintola led the charge down the field and took two defenders all the way to the end line where he centered a pass to Lifferth in front of the goal.  Lifferth, with a defender at his hip, turned and fired with the right foot past the keeper giving Snow College the 3-2 lead.  
 
The Badgers needed to salt away the final 23 seconds of regulation to claim the SWAC Title.  SLCC loaded up offensively for one final charge, but the Badger's defense was able to hold to earn their third SWAC Tournament Championship in six years.  
 
Snow College was able to withstand a relentless attack from the Bruins.  SLCC fired 21 shots throughout the match including 13 in the second half.  Badger's keeper Nick McNeil was able to turn away 10 of those shots to aid in the victory.  For his efforts, McNeil was named to the all-tournament team.
 
 Lifferth scored three goals in the tournament and was named the Tournament MVP.  Chamalloux, Banza, and Arthur Macri were also named to the all-tournament team. 
 
Snow College will now host the District Championship which will be played against the Region 1 winner, Arizona Western College.  AWC won the Region 1 Title defeating Yavapai Community College 2-1 Friday to earn a spot in the District Championship.  
 
The Matadors enter the match as the No. 9 ranked team in the country after finishing the regular season with a 13-2 record.  The Badgers have only faced the Matadors once in the past.  Snow College won that matchup 3-2 in Henderson, Nevada April 2, 2021.  The matchup will take place Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Snow College Soccer Complex. For video streaming and live stat information, visit snowbadgers.com.