Men's Soccer Fights Back for 3-3 Draw at Denver

Friday, August 31

Denver, Colo.

7:00 MST

Drexel University

0-1-1

Denver

0-1-1

Team	1	2	OT 1	OT 2	Final F
DREXEL	1	2	0	0	3
Denver	2	1	0	0	3

Photo by: Sean Joyce

Men's Soccer Fights Back for 3-3 Draw at Denver

8/31/2012 11:35:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

BOX SCORE

DENVER - Opening a two-game road trip in the State of Colorado, the Drexel men's soccer team battled back all night against the host Denver Pioneers, earning a 3-3 draw. Guido Pena notched his first goal as a Dragon off a penalty kick, while John Grosh and Michele Pataia each had game-tying goals in the second half. Pataia's closed the game's scoring, evening the game at 3-3 in the 76th minute of play.

Senior Tim Washam made his first start in goal since 2010, allowing just one goal over the game's final 86:02. He had four saves, including two in the overtime periods.

The Pioneers got their home opener off to a good start with two goals in a 13-minute span midway through the first half. Drew Beckie scored off a corner kick put in play by Zach Bolden in the 21st minute, firing just inside the far post. Bolden then set up Brian Hoyt with a cross from near the endline in the 34th minute, giving Denver a 2-0 lead.

Almost immediately, the Dragons cut the deficit in half. Putting pressure on the Denver defense, Fabio Machado was fouled in the box, prompting a penalty kick with 33:58 to play, just over 30 seconds after Hoyt's goal. Guido Pena took the kick and beat Denver keeper Oliver Brown, his first goal as a Dragon.

The game remained 2-1 at halftime, but Drexel continued to push forward at the start of the second half. Just seven-and-a-half minutes into the period, John Grosh took a free kick from just outside the Denver box and curled a ball perfectly into the far side of the net, knotting the score at two.

Denver responded when Josh Wren scored in the 59th minute, this time off a cross from Beckie. Down 3-2, the Dragons remained undaunted. They continued to pound the offensive zone, putting up a total of 14 shots in the second half. In the 76th minute, the Dragons earned a corner kick, inserted by Pena. His ball found Tal Bublil in front of the net, who headed it just high and off the crossbar. On the rebound, Michele Pataia connected and beat Brown for the equalizer.

The Dragons continued the pressure with five more shots in the second half, but could not connect again. They got one shot off in the second overtime period, but once again came up empty.

The game was the home opener for Denver, which had dropped its season opener at UNC Charlotte, last year's NCAA runner up, 2-1 in overtime.

Drexel will now have a day off in Colorado before heading to nearby Colorado Springs, where they will take on the Air Force Academy in a Labor Day weekend tilt. That game will be played on Sunday, with kickoff set for 3:00 p.m. Eastern.