Men's Soccer Draws with No. 4 New Mexico, 1-1

Friday, September 19

Albuquerque, N.M.

9:00 p.m.

Drexel University

2-2-2

No. 4 New Mexico

4-1-1

OT 1

OT 2

Drexel

New Mexico

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Men's Soccer Draws with No. 4 New Mexico, 1-1

9/19/2014 10:57:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Guido Pena scored in the 78th minute of the Drexel men's soccer team's first match in the TLC Plumbing and Utility Invitational as the Dragons earned a 1-1 draw with the hosts, the fourth-ranked New Mexico Lobos on Friday evening. The goal was Pena's first of the season, with an assist to Michele Pataia. It snapped a drought of 457:05 of game time without a goal for the Dragons, who saw their record move to 2-2-2 on the season with the draw.

Drexel got five saves from sophomore goalkeeper Tyler Afflerbach, slowing a New Mexico offense which had outscored opponents 7-3 over its first five games. The Lobos moved to 4-1-1 with the result.

New Mexico came out firing in the first half but the Drexel defense, which has been its strength all season, held strong. The Lobos got off eight shots in the game's first 45 minutes, as many as they would manage over the ensuing 65. The Lobos did manage to get on the board first in the 38th minute when Nick Miele scored his first goal of the season off a feed from Josh Goss on a corner kick. Miele took the insertion and headed it in for the 1-0 lead.

The score remained that way for just over 40 minutes until the Dragons knotted things up in the 78th. Michele Pataia gained control near midfield and fed a through ball into the box where Guido Pena tracked it down. The senior striker had to slide to make contact with the ball, but make contact he did as it was redirected past the Lobos' keeper and in for the tying score.

Neither team was able to put a shot on goal in the overtime periods, though New Mexico did make a late charge in the game's closing moments. After a foul on the Dragons in the 110th minute, New Mexico got off a shot that curled wide, then forced yet another Drexel foul, but could do nothing with it.

The draw marked the first time Drexel had not been defeated when playing a ranked team since September 22, 2012. In that game, the Dragons opened what would prove to be the first of two-straight Colonial Athletic Association regular season championship runs with a 4-1 victory over No. 11 Old Dominion. Pataia also figured prominently in that contest with two goals.

Drexel will have one more contest before leaving the Land of Enchantment. The Dragons will take on CSU Bakersfield on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. Bakersfield also played to a 1-1 draw in its opener of the TLC Plumbing and Utility Invitational, theirs against former CAA member VCU.