Men's Soccer win 3-2 in overtime
Randolph Center, VT – Senior Wellington Newton (Burlington, VT) scored the game-winner for Vermont Tech just under a minute into the first overtime to give NHTI men's soccer team its first conference loss of the season, 3-2 in a Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) showdown.
The USCAA seventh ranked Lynxs (10-2/7-1 YSCC) grabbed a late first half 1-0 lead in the 33rd minute when Austin Sartwell shot the ball from eighteen yards out, just out of the reach of the Green Knights (8-7-1/4-3 YSCC) goalie Darian Calverley (Attleboro, MA). Chris Ketcham picked up the assist by feeding Sartwell from the right side of the field.
NHTI held on to the 1-0 advantage for about 7 minutes until Freshman Matthew Brien (Colchester, VT), was able to push a ball past Patrick Bolton off a Kevin Arias (Canann,VT) cross to tie the game up at 1-1 before the end of the first half.
NHTI came out strong to start the second half. Vermont Tech gave up a corner kick early and Semir Scandzic took a full advantage as he found Parker Heath making a run on the far post to tap the ball past Calverley in the 49th minute.
In the final minutes of regulation Sandzic of NHTI took a direct kick from outside the penalty box, Calverley made the save and quickly punted the ball 80 yards down the field for Joaquin Currier-Cubero (Danville, VT). The punt gave Currier-Cubero a one-on-one with golatender Bolton pulling him out of the net, which allowed Currier-Cubero to strike the ball past him in to the lower right corner, putting the equalizer on the board and ending regulation at 2-2.
Vermont Tech won the coin toss and started the overtime with the kick-off and caught NHTI on their Heels as quick combination passing moved Vermont Tech in to the offensive third. In the first minute of overtime play Ali Alzamanan (Saudi Arabia) was able to split the NHTI defense and find Newton waiting in the middle 16 yards out. Newton was able to push the ball to his right foot and get the shot off, hitting the right side netting past Bolton, giving the Green Knights the 3-2 victory.
Bolton made 5 saves for the Lynxs and Calverley had 12 for the Green Knights
Vermont Tech is back on the road to face conference rival Hampshire College this Saturday in Amherst, MA. Game time is scheduled for 2:00 pm.
Vermont Tech Men's Soccer has also clinched the second seed for YSCC West Division play-offs. This game is scheduled for Tuesday October 14th vs. Paul Smith's College with a kick-off scheduled for 3:00pm.
