New/Sortable Box Score |
Traditional Box Score
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The 25th-ranked Slippery Rock University men's soccer team rallied from a two goal deficit to earn a 2-2 double overtime time with Urbana Saturday afternoon in non-conference action from Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
Urbana (3-2-1) scored in just the sixth minute of the game and added a second tally in the 50th minute to put Slippery Rock (3-0-3) on the ropes. The Rock responded with a dominant performance in the second half, scoring twice in the final 15 minutes to tie the game.
Brandon Chiu got the team back in the game with his second goal of the year after he played a perfect through ball from
Michael Ramirez and scored to make it 2-1 in the 76th minute.
Joshua Gray capped the comeback when he played a deflected pass into the upper right corner to tie it in the 86th minute.
Slippery Rock posted advantages of 14-4 in total shots, 8-2 in shots on goal and 9-0 in corner kicks over the final 45 minutes.
The Rock was dominant in the extra sessions as well, posting a 6-2 edge in shots and forcing Urbana keeper Darragh McGinley to make three saves, including a one-on-one breakaway from
Stephen Donnelly with just 12 seconds left in the game.
Slippery Rock finished the game with advantages of 27-15 in total shots, 16-7 in shots on goal and 14-1 in corner kicks.
Clayton Master made five saves in the game for Slippery Rock, but all five were well-placed shots that required an outstanding effort. Most notably, with less than four minutes in the game Master stoned a breakaway attempt from Urbana's top player to preserve the tie.
Darragh finished with 13 saves for Urbana, which also got a team save after a defender cleared a ball off the goal line early in the game.
The double overtime tie was nothing new for Slippery Rock, which has finished all three games at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium this season with the same result.
Urbana came out of the gates strong and controlled play for the first 15 minutes of the game. The Blue Knights got on the board at the 6:00 mark when Jared Brand headed in a cross from Tyler Wason to make it 1-0.
Gray had a chance to make it a 1-1 games heading into the break when
Chris Davis earned a penalty kick in the final minute, but McGinley dove to his left to make the save on the PK attempt.
Brand's goal would account for the only score of the opening half, with Urbana posting a 9-7 edge in shots in the period.
Wason added his own tally in the 50th minute when he fired a laser from nearly 30 yards out along the right side line that sailed into the upper 90 for his team-leading sixth goal of the year.
From there, Slippery Rock began chipping away at the Urbana defense, being rewarded with multiple corner kicks but never being able to convert. Finally, in the 76th minute, Ramirez flicked a ball through two defenders to Chiu, who scored one-on-one against the keeper to make it 2-1.
Just more than 10 minutes later, Gray notched the equalizer when he flicked the ball over McGinley into the upper right corner of the net, setting up the overtime finish.
Both teams had chances in the overtime, but Master and McGinley were exceptional in net, preserving the draw.
Saturday's game was the first of a six match homestand for Slippery Rock, which will open conference play when Mercyhurst visits Jim Egli Field Thursday for a 4 p.m. match.
