Wisconsin Soccer Central

Just as he did during the regular season, Ethan Finlay (Marshfield) played a key role as the Columbus Crew advanced in the Major League Soccer playoffs.

Finlay leveled the aggregate score against the Montreal Impact with his first career postseason goal in the 77th minute Sunday, then was involved in the sequence that led to Kei Kamara's 11th-minute winner as the Crew prevailed 4-3 after extra time.

No. 2 seed Columbus will face the top-seeded New York Red Bulls, coached by Jesse Marsch (Racine Case), in the Eastern Conference finals Nov. 22 and 29, with the winner advancing to play FC Dallas or the Portland Timbers in MLS Cup on Dec. 6.

With the score tied 1-1 on the day and the Crew down 3-2 on aggregate, Cedrick Mabwati played a cross in from the left side that deflected to fellow substitute Jack McInerney, whose shot was parried by Montreal goalkeeper Evan Bush. But the ball fell to Finlay on the back post, and the 25-year-old – who scored 12 goals during the regular season – fired in a right-footed finish to pull the home side equal.

Then in the second period of extra time, Finlay played a ball to Mabwati, whose cross to the far post was headed in by Kamara for the decisive goal. Earlier, Finlay also drew a penalty when he was taken down in the box by center back Laurent Ciman in the 67th, but Bush made a diving save on Kamara's shot from the spot.

Finlay and Impact midfielder Calum Mallace (Marquette) both played all 120 minutes in the match. Marsch's Red Bulls blanked D.C. United 1-0 on Sunday and won their series 2-0 on aggregate.

On Twitter: @EthanFinlay13 @CMallace10 @jessemarsch

• J.C. Banks (Milwaukee Riverside/UW-Green Bay) came on in the 65th minute and nearly found a late equalizer, but Minnesota United lost to the host Ottawa Fury 2-1 after extra time Sunday in a semifinal of the North American Soccer League's The Championship. Banks saw two shots, one a header, saved by French goalkeeper Romuald Peiser in the final 6 minutes of extra time as he preserved the slim lead and helped the Fury advance to next Sunday's final at the New York Cosmos. Banks finished with three goals in 20 appearances (five starts) in all competitions in his first season with Minnesota United. On Twitter: @jcbanks11
• Rosie Malone-Povolny (Marquette) and Medkila IL staved off relegation from the Toppserien on Saturday, as Ingrid Altermark's 89th-minute goal gave them a 2-1 victory over visiting Trondheims-Ørn in Norway's top women's league. Medkila (5-15-2) finished 11th in the 12-team league, two points ahead of relegated Amazon Grimstad, and will play First Division runner-up Grand Bodø (13-3-5) in a two-leg series for a spot in the Toppserien in 2016. Malone-Povolny scored her team-best eighth goal of the season, tied for eighth in the league, in the 13th minute to give Medkila the early lead in the season finale. Medkila went 3-1-1 over its final five matches to overtake Amazon Grimstad, which lost to Stabæk 4-1 to end its season.
• Carlos McCrary, who played three seasons with the Madison 56ers in the National Premier Soccer League, scored his second goal of the year as German fifth-division side Sportfreunde Seligenstadt rallied past 1. FC Eschborn 2-1 on Oct. 31. The 24-year-old McCrary has made 14 appearances (five starts) for the club, which is seventh in the 17-team Hessenliga. On Twitter: @CarlosMcCrary
• Chicago Fire midfielder Matt Polster (Milwaukee) finished third in voting for the MLS  Rookie of the Year award. The 22-year-old, who grew up in Las Vegas and played collegiately at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, made 30 appearances (27 starts) for the Fire. Orlando City striker Cyle Larin won the award.