Cavs Overcome OT in Season Opener
LANGLEY, B.C. - Forced into overtime in the waning seconds of the second period, the Concordia University men’s soccer team rallied in the first extra period to down Trinity Western 2-1 in the season opener for the Cavaliers at TWU’s Spartan Field.
After 76 minutes of scoreless play, junior midfielder Bryan Iotte (Auburn, Wash.) booted a cross from Joey Graham (Pasco, Wash.) into the left side of the net for the go-ahead score. Alex Ponce (Hood River, Ore.) was also credited with an assist on the play after feeding the ball to Graham before the scoring strike.
Scrapping the final 10 minutes, TWU’s work paid off by generating the equalizer with 12 seconds to spare in regulation when Spartan rookie forward Daniel Lowen turned a well-placed pass from teammate Patrick Kelly passed Concordia keeper Scot Perkins (Portland, Ore.).
The Cavaliers responded in their only shot attempt of the overtime period, another goal setup by the Graham and Ponce duo. While bursting down the right side of the field, Graham crossed to true freshman Bent Jenson (Beaverton, Ore.) who connected with a shot back against and through the Spartan defense in the 97th minute.
“It was a good test of the team’s resolve,” Concordia head coach Dan Birkey said. “After giving up the late goal, I thought the guys had to make a decision to move forward and play aggressively against a strong, physical team.”
The teams each recorded 16 shots in the match with CU holding an 11-4 advantage in shots on goal as well as a 9-1 lead in corner kicks. Perkins earned the win for the Cavs, notching three saves while playing the full match in goal.
The Cavaliers stay in Langley for their second match of the season when they face Simon Fraser University on Thursday, August 23. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Spartan Field.