The final seconds ticked off the clock and the home team sprinted onto the field. The giant had fallen.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Pioneers (7-1-1) triumphed over the No. 4 nationally-ranked Loras College Duhawks (7-1-1) 2-1 Sept. 19 at Ralph E. Davis Pioneers Stadium.

The win got the Pioneers ranked no. 25 in the nation.

The Pioneers got on the board early. After a Loras offsides penalty nearly 20 minutes into the game, Pioneers senior midfielder Brandon Chmiel made the first goal of the night, putting a shot in the net after streaking past two defenders on the left side of the field.

Chmiel scored again soon after, bending a free kick, set up by a Loras foul, into the upper left corner of the goal from 30 yards away, just out of reach of Loras goalkeeper Dylan Milkent.

Chmiel was named WIAC Offensive Player of the Week.

The Duhawks’ Erik Berkowitz slipped one past Pioneer junior goalkeeper Ian Christensen in the last two minutes of the first half to cut the Pioneer lead to 2-1.

“The game went good. We were pressing them in the first half and got our shots in. We sat back a little bit in the second half just holding pressure on them,” Chmiel said.

Christensen turned away three Duhawk shots in the second period, including two within 30 seconds of each other.

“It started a lot with the defense and we moved on from there until we could start getting the ball into the back of the net,” Christensen said.

Pioneer head coach Enzo Fuschino echoed similar sentiments.

“We have players capable of the plays so we packed it in and defended really well. This is a group that’s willing to work really hard and put their bodies on the line for 90 minutes and use their individual skills to be a successful team.”