Another Day, Another OT Win

NEWTON, MA -  With just nine seconds left in double-overtime, it appeared the NYU-Poly Men's Soccer team was going to have to settle for an undeserved 1-1 tie. Having outshot Green Mountain 17-3 and watching the Eagles goal-keeper make save after mind-boggling save, 15 total in the match, the Jays just couldn't seem to crack the goal.

But with nine ticks left freshmen forward Marcelo Escudero (Maywood, NJ)  rifled a left-footed shot that had the keeper beat, but the goal was denied by a hand ball by a Green Mountain defender. The referee awarded a penalty kick for the Jays and junior Joe Gabor (Warwick, NY) came through in the clutch, blasting the shot into the lower right corner and giving the Jays the sudden-death victory.

The first half featured a constant offensive attack by the Jays, but Green Mountain keeper Nate Kishbaugh denied the first seven attempts, making several impressive stops on high quality shots by NYU-Poly. One of those, a header by sophomore Nick Michalczewski (Miami, FL), Kishbaugh made a sprawling save punching the ball clear of the goal.  But just a few moments later, junior Adam Lakawicz (Butler, NJ) would find Michalczewski again and this time the forward's header found the back of the net giving the Jays the 1-0 lead 22 minutes into the game.  Kishbaugh would come up big moments later when the freshmen tandem of Giovanni Ormaeche (Ramsey, NJ)  and Adrian Hurtado (Deer Park, NY) each had shots on goal denied by the Eagle netminder.

The Jays appeared to go up 2-0 when sophomore Sal DeVito, who was onsides, finished off a rebound in front of the net, however the linesman called another Blue Jay offsides. Moments later Green Mountain's Charly Thevenau scored on a free kick from Chris Gaskin outside the eighteen from the sideline. NYU-Poly would go to the half tied 1-1, having outshot Green Mountain 16-6.

Early in the second, Ormaeche nearly put the Jays back up when his running header from the backside slammed off the crossbar. The Jays continued their attack on Green Mountain put time and time again could not convert. The Eagles didn't have a shot on goal the entire half, while NYU-Poly racked up another 10. But, the game would go to extra time tied at 1-1.

NYU-Poly suffered a huge setback with just a moment left in the first overtime when senior keeper Rob Petri (St. Louis, MO) was hit making a save off a cross. He came down hard on his leg and left the game. Freshmen keeper Michael Hall (Los Angeles, CA) came in and stopped the only Green Mountain shot of OT, which set up the 2nd OT dramatics.

NYU-POly outshot Green Mountain 30-10, including 17 shots on goal to just 3 by the Eagles.  Kishbaugh made 15 saves, while Petri made two and Hall stopped one. NYU-Poly took nine corners to the Eagles one.

NYU-Poly improves to 3-0, while Green Mountain falls to 0-3. NYU-Poly will travel to Lehman College on Wednesday for a 7:00 kickoff.