MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – Sophomore Bobby Ernst (Needham, Mass.) scored his second goal of the season 8:04 into the first overtime as the Salve Regina University men’s soccer team rallied from a two-goal second-half deficit to stun Curry College 4-3 in The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) action Wednesday night at Gaudet Field.
The Seahawks trailed 3-1 midway through the second half before goals from juniors Ian Jentgen (Columbus, Ohio) and Nicodemo Camarda (Burlington, N.J.) 2:24 apart evened the match at three. Late in the first overtime, the Seahawks cashed in on their third corner kick of the frame and earn their seventh win in their last nine matches. Junior Sean McAllister (North Arlington, N.J.) lofted the ball from the left corner towards the right side of the box, and Ernst dove head-first and drilled the ball into the net to cap the comeback.
The win lifts the Seahawks to 7-3-1 on the season and 5-1-1 in conference play. The loss snaps the Colonels three-match win streak and drops them below .500 to 6-7 (3-4 TCCC).
The Colonels jumped out to a 1-0 lead at 8:52 when sophomore Eric Guglielmello (Paxton, Mass.) netted his third goal of the season. He fought off a pair of SRU defenders and chipped the ball past freshman goalkeeper Adam Harlan (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.), who came out to challenge the play but saw the ball squirt away from him. The Seahawks evened the match at one on Camarda’s fourth goal of the season. McAllister sent a corner kick into the box that Camarda collected and punched into the goal at 20:15. The Seahawks outshot the Colonels 9-4 in the half.
Curry grabbed a 2-1 lead 2:03 into the second half on sophomore Zachary Kumin (Needham, Mass.) first marker of the season. He collected the ball at the top of the box and fired a shot into the top right corner of the net at 47:03. The Colonels stretched their lead to 3-1 on a play that started on a corner kick. Sophomore Devin Sadlers (Somerset, Mass.) sent a corner kick into the box that was played by junior Michael Griffin (Dalton, Mass.) and sent over to Guglielmello, who scored from five yards out.
Harlan recorded two saves in his second collegiate start and evened his record at 1-1. Junior Brian Newsome (Lawrenceville, N.J.), meanwhile, recorded seven saves for the Colonels and moved to 5-4-1 on the season.
"In 13 years of professional coaching, I have never seen a match like this,” said head coach Craig O’Rourke II. “I am still somewhat shaking my head in disbelief over some of things that I witnessed tonight, from the Newsome save on our flick header minutes before the end of regulation to Carroll's leaping chest trap and volley off the crossbar to our third goal that Nicodemo scored. I'm just in awe of some of the plays - simply a wild, dynamic, exciting match from start to finish. To be honest, I'm just elated that we won it."
The Seahawks outshot the Colonels 20-7 on the night and held a 12-5 edge in corner kicks. Curry was also whistled for 27 fouls, compared to 15 for the home team.
The Seahawks return to action on Saturday when they travel to Quincy, Mass. for a 3 p.m. match with Eastern Nazarene. The Colonels host New England College at 7:30 p.m.
(Release Courtesy of Salve Regina University)
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