Box Score
Fredericksburg, VA — The comeback kids did it again.
Trailing by a 1-0 score with the clock inching toward zeroes at the University of Mary Washington's Battleground Athletic Complex, senior Nick Thompson banged home a rebound with just 28 seconds remaining — giving Messiah new life on a hot and sunny Saturday afternoon.
It turns out that was all the team needed, as junior Kent Ramirez scored his second goal of the season just 6:34 into the overtime period, giving the Falcons their second consecutive, 2-1, come-from-behind win in OT.
“In the end, this team continues to show the moxie to play until the final whistle blows,” said Brad McCarty, Messiah head coach, “and that is a great quality to have.”
It was a trait of necessity Saturday afternoon at Mary Washington, as Messiah — ranked 11th in the latest NSCAA/Adidas Top 25 Poll and seventh in the most recent D3soccer.com Top 25 ballot — did everything well except score. The Falcons finished with a 17-9 advantage in total shots and a 6-2 disparity in corner kicks, seemingly controlling the majority of the game in both possession and area of play.
Messiah (7-1) was especially dominant early, where the visitors outshot the hosts by an 8-4 difference, and repeatedly attacked the Eagles' back line. Senior Geoff Pezon hit the post with a laser of a shot in the 22nd minute, while several other Messiah efforts were placed just inches off the Eagles' frame.
“Overall, I thought we played very well both tactically and technically, but when you're coming off an emotional win, sometimes you lack that last bit of focus,” McCarty said. “It was 90 degrees today, it was a three-hour bus ride, and we just lacked that last bit of focus on our final touch, our final header. We lacked that focus that you need to finish off a play, finish off an opponent.”
With Wednesday's three-hour and 45-minute marathon win over Dickinson College still resonating, the Falcons simply could not break through the Mary Washington defense. Messiah recorded three of the second half's first four shots, but Eagles' keeper Alec Constantine was there to stop two of them — keeping the slate clean.
In the 70th minute, that all changed.
Following yet another Messiah push toward the Eagles' cage, Mary Washington gained possession and quickly switched the ball in a counter attack. The Eagles' Will Gallop received the ball and — with a defender on his hip — launched a rocket from both distance and angle, challenging sophomore keeper Jake Berry to the far post.
Berry leapt and was able to get a hand on it, but the ball was only deflected into the upper 90, gently kissing off the bottom of the crossbar and into the netting.
Despite controlling the run of play for the majority of the contest, Messiah was looking at its second 1-0 deficit in as many games.
“We generated a number of really good scoring opportunities in the first half, and we did the same in the first 20 minutes of the second half,” McCarty said. “But again, we didn't finish our scoring opportunities, and when you don't, you give the opposing team belief. Mary Washington was talented and had good players. (Gallop) hit a screamer, and it was a good goal.”
With Mary Washington (6-1-1) eager for an upset win, Messiah would mount one, final push.
Again coming in waves at the Eagles' backline, it was Pezon who initiated the scoring sequence, pushing the ball past a defender and ripping a shot on frame from just outside the 18-yard box. Constantine was there to deflect the attempt, but the ball ricocheted back into the field of play, where Nick Thompson was there.
He calmly poked the ball into the back of the net for his team-leading fifth goal of the season, shocking the 400 in attendance with a 28 seconds-to-go backbreaker.
“I was confident we could score at any point, whether it was in the last five minutes, two minutes, whatever,” McCarty said of the ulcer-inducing finish. “Now, I wasn't really thinking it was going to come with 28 seconds left, but we were creating chances. We were dangerous, and we finally were able to break through.”
In similar fashion to Wednesday night's win over Dickinson, the extra session was all but a forgone conclusion. Just three minutes in, freshman Drew Frey nearly ended things, but his attempt sailed just over the crossbar. Three minutes later, Ramirez made certain there would be no more soccer played.
After Nick Thompson broke pressure with the ball near midfield, Ramirez was mysteriously unmarked on the left wing. Thompson played him a brilliant ball and Ramirez went strong to goal, cutting the ball back to his right after the Eagles' center back slid over to cover.
Ramirez hit a low, hard shot, beating Constantine to the near post and setting off a dog pile near the corner flag.
It was Messiah's fourth contest of the season in which at least one extra session was needed. It was the team's third win in extra time.
“I was really pleased with how we played,” McCarty said. “Clearly, we need to finish our opportunities at a better rate, but we're still trying to garner the rhythm to keep the ball and possess it. I thought we did both of those well today.”
Messiah will remain on the road for two more contests, as the team will next travel to Eastern Mennonite University Wednesday evening. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
