Men's Soccer Drops Opener in OT, 3-2 at La Salle

Saturday, August 25

La Salle University

7:00

Drexel University

0-1 (0-1Soccer 6)

La Salle

1-0 (1-0Soccer 6)

Team	1	2	OT 2	Final F
DREXEL	0	2	0	2
La Salle	1	1	1	3

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Men's Soccer Drops Opener in OT, 3-2 at La Salle

8/25/2012 10:26:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

BOX SCORE

PHILADELPHIA – A dramatic conclusion saw the Drexel men's soccer team experience a roller coaster of emotions at the end of their season opener at La Salle on Saturday night, as the Dragons took a late lead, only to see it slip away in the final minute of regulation before losing in the first minute of overtime, 3-2. Malcolm LeBourne and Fabio Machado scored for the Dragons, who got a go-ahead goal in the 86th minute of his first game with Drexel.

La Salle got on the board first, scoring in the game's eighth minute when Jason Plumhoff made the most of a penalty kick chance. The Explorers put significant pressure on the Drexel goal, but Pentti Pussinen was able to deflect a shot up and off the crossbar. The ball popped up in the air and was controlled by the Explorers briefly in front of the goal before the Drexel foul prompted the penalty kick.

Play went back and forth for the remainder of the first half, with the Dragons getting some opportunities in the Explorer end. They were unable to make anything of them, however, getting three shots on goal but not really testing La Salle keeper John McCarthy.

Early in the second half, however, the Dragons broke through. In the 49th minute, Brandon Zeller gained control to the right of McCarthy, feeding a cross into Malcolm LeBourne darting in front of the net. LeBourne, who was second on the team in 2011 with three goals, got the team's first of 2012 when he redirected the Zeller pass low and to the right of McCarthy, knotting the score at one.

Just over 10 minutes later, the Dragons put together another sustained period of pressure. Keeping the ball in the La Salle end, Drexel got a few good looks, including a header shot by Ken Tribbett, before they were awarded a free kick from 25 yards out. LeBourne faked for the shot, and Fabio Machado stepped into a low screamer that hooked around the La Salle wall, forcing McCarthy to dive to make the save and finally clear the ball.

In the game's 70th minute, the Dragons had perhaps their best chance of the game besides LeBourne's game-tying goal. With a four-on-one break towards the net, Michele Pataia put a beautiful deke move to clear himself of the Explorers' defender, feeding Ken Tribbett to his right. Tribbett put a hard shot on goal, but a dive to McCarthy's right corralled the save and preserved the tie score. Drexel would get two more significant chances in the next 10 minutes, as LeBourne saw a shot sail just high and Ridge Robinson, minutes after being inserted for LeBourne, had a shot saved by an outstretched dive by the fingertips of McCarthy on a lunge to his right.

With just over three minutes to play in regulation, the Dragons finally broke through. Regaining control in their own end, Drexel got the ball to Tribbett just on the Drexel side of midfield. Tribbett sent a perfectly-placed lead pass to a streaking Fabio Machado, who had his defender beat just moments after the ball left Tribbett's foot. With only McCarthy to beat, Machado fired to the right corner of the goal, putting Drexel up 2-1.

The lead would be short-lived. Off a throw to the right of Pussinen with just under a minute to play, Andrew Weyershaeuser popped the ball into the air, where Mike Stanton got a head on it and popped it just past the outstretched arms of the Dragons' goalkeeper. Less than a minute into overtime, Joe Farrell got the winner for the Explorers, scoring in the midst of a scrum just in front of the goal.

The Dragons will now embark on their longest trip of the season, flying to Colorado later this week for a two-game visit to the Rocky Mountain State. Drexel visits Denver on August 31, followed by a visit to Air Force two days later.