BENNINGTON, Vt. – Southern Vermont College nearly defeated Lyndon State College Tuesday afternoon in men's soccer action at Everett Field, but a double-overtime shot barely ricocheted back into play before the visiting Hornets made the most of it on the other end with just 1:55 left on the clock for the 3-2 victory.
LSC got on the board first with a solo tally in the opening 45 minutes, only to see the Mountaineers tie it up just 1:34 into the second stanza. The 1-1 score didn't last long as the Hornets went back on top in the 54th minute, but SVC got its second of the day only 52 seconds later to even things once again.
Neither side had any great chances through the first 10-minute extra session before Southern Vermont made a push in the second overtime that resulted in a few good looks. A Lyndon State turnover in its defensive end gave the Mountaineers an open opportunity, but the shot would ring off the inside of the left post and bounce back across the box to the relief of the visitors. Less than three minutes later, LSC cleaned up a rebound off the post at the other end-- stuffing home the game-winning goal to walk out with the victory.
The Mountaineers drop to 3-3 on the year after their first game at Everett since September 1 while Lyndon State improves to 4-1 overall.
Southern Vermont now turns to the start of New England Collegiate Conference action, a 3 p.m. game on Saturday at Daniel Webster College. The Hornets are next in action on Saturday as well, hosting Green Mountain College at 1 p.m. for their second North Atlantic Conference match.
SVC had goals scored by sophomore captain Kieran Enright (Perth, Australia) and junior Paddy McGovern (Cheshire, England) while sophomores Nikolas Joseph (Coventry, Conn.) and Matthew Hatch (Sahuarita, Ariz.) each had an assist.
Lyndon State sophomore Abukar Hassan (Kenya) scored twice in the win, including the final tally, and junior Devin Cowan (Saranac Lake, N.Y.) assisted on the game winner after scoring the first Hornet goal of the day.
LSC freshman keeper Caleb Derbyshire (Barton, Vt.) improved to 2-0 between the pipes with a pair of saves as his Southern Vermont freshman counterpart Chris Jimenez (Newark, N.J.) amassed 11 saves in the loss (3-3).
The Hornets owned an 8-2 edge in corner kicks as they controlled the ball for a majority of the match. SVC was not afraid to play conservatively in its own end through the opening 25 minutes, forcing Lyndon State out of its game and frustrating the LSC attack. Finally, the visitors broke through as Cowan got his sixth of the year to break the scoreless stalemate. A failed Southern Vermont clear from six yards out trickled into the middle of the box, allowing Cowan to run onto and slam it home for the 1-0 advantage.
The Hornets continued to move the ball well through the remainder of the first half, taking their slim lead into the intermission along with a 26-4 upper hand in shots taken.
Once play resumed, however, SVC changed the pace and started to get chances on the offensive end. After being awarded a free kick from a yard into the LSC end of the pitch, Joseph hit the set piece over the Hornet defense and deeply into the box. Enright beat the opposition to the ball, headed it over an oncoming Derbyshire, and proceeded to blast it home from a couple feet out to ensure his first goal of the year.
Lyndon State came back with energy, pushing to go back on top right away. About 6:30 after the hosts knocked in their equalizer, Hassan registered his first of the day on a spectacular finish from 25 yards out to put his team back in the driver's seat. A Southern Vermont clear went off the side of a Mountaineer foot, seeing the ball trickle from the left third to the middle of the field; Hassan settled it, took a stutter step and let it fly into the upper-right corner of the cage for his second of the year.
The 2-1 LSC edge would be short-lived, however, as McGovern tied it up once again less than a minute later. Hatch launched a throw-in from the right side of the field, putting it six yards in front of the near post; McGovern met and flicked the ball with the top of his head quickly past Derbyshire, his seventh goal of the year tying the game early into the 55th minute.
The Hornets peppered the SVC goal line with shots through the final 35 minutes of regulation, but none were too dangerously on frame as the Mountaineers were able to force overtime. Neither side could do much in the first extra session, sending the game to its final 10 minutes as the shadows darkened across Everett Field.
Southern Vermont had three solid chances in a minute's time midway through the second extra period, the best being when McGovern battled a Hornet defender and swiped the ball after a goal kick. He made a cut from the left edge into the middle of the box, going one-on-one with Derbyshire for the win; the junior's take would go off the inside of the keeper's best friend, however, for Lyndon State to stay alive.
Three minutes later, with time waning, LSC found the back of the net for the triumphant victory. A ball played down to the right side of the goal line saw Jimenez leave the frame, and a Hornet cross nearly resulted in the game winner as the first-time shot would also hit the post; but it caromed right to an open Hassan who stepped up and slammed it in for the 3-2 final.
– #LetsGoSVC –