Box Score
Rochester, NY — For host Nazareth College, it turned out to be one corner kick too many.
Messiah made use of its final (and 24th) corner kick of the afternoon Saturday, turning a 1-1 ballgame into a 2-1 final — all with just 1:55 remaining in double-overtime.
Despite maintaining possession throughout and repeatedly getting behind the Golden Flyers' back line, the Falcons were forced to play catch-up, allowing a goal with just 40 seconds remaining in the first half.
Following improved play to start the second half, Messiah was rewarded with a goal in the 79th minute.
Getting the golden score was difficult, however, as 10 Falcons' second-half corner kicks went begging, as did seven more in the overtime sessions.
That was until junior Kent Ramirez finally connected with senior Nick Thompson, whose header clanged off the Golden Flyer Stadium turf and into the upper netting, averting what would have been a less-than-desirable draw for the Falcons.
“I don't remember ever seeing this many corner kicks,” said Brad McCarty, Messiah head coach. “I can't even remember a time where we had more corners than shots. But today we were able to continuously get to the end line, and that is important to us. To get seven corner kicks in the second overtime alone is impressive. I thought our depth was able to wear them down a bit, and we were fortunate to get the result.”
It appeared that an early score would be a foregone conclusion for Messiah (3-1), as McCarty's group came out playing inspired soccer. Gorgeous passing sequences and strong play on the wings helped the visitors to six first-half corner kicks, and a variety of scoring opportunities.
Perhaps the most notable came in the 13th minute, when junior Derek Black shook free of his defender on the left side and rifled a shot to the upper 90, dipping the ball just below the crossbar.
Nazareth junior keeper Kyle Connolly leapt and fully extended himself, however, punching the ball away at the last moment.
“An incredible save,” McCarty would say later.
As the Golden Flyers successfully kept Messiah off the board, the hosts looked for a chance to counter. With 40 seconds remaining before halftime, they got it.
Taking its first corner kick of the day — the Golden Flyers would attempt a grand total of three — Nazareth (1-2-1) ironically capitalized. Freshman James Wheeler sent a curving ball into the box, and senior goalkeeper Kyle Fulks appeared to come down with it.
After a scrum, however, the Flyers' Chris Mitchell punched the ball into the back of the net from just off the end line, a series of events that left Fulks bloodied.
Aesthetically pleasing or not, Nazareth (1-2-1) was up by a 1-0 count at halftime.
“I thought we knocked the ball around really well to start the game,” McCarty said. “We created some good opportunities to score, I thought we pressured well and we kept it in their half. But, they proved to be dangerous on the counter attack, and they played hard. I didn't think we were as good in the last 10 minutes of the first half as we were early, and they made us pay.”
McCarty's half time speech must have been impassioned.
Messiah came out in the second half with a refined focus and intensity, pounding the Golden Flyers' back line with waves of dynamic build-ups. In the 53rd minute, Nick Thompson nearly tied the game at 1-1, getting the ball inside the Nazareth 18-yard box and firing a low shot — another that Connolly was able to save.
It was then that the corner kicks started to pile up, though none would come to fruition. Juniors Derek Black and Kent Ramirez repeatedly got behind the defense, but the scoreboard remained empty.
“D-Black and Kent were really good today,” McCarty said. “They were able to get to the end line and either slot the ball back, cross it or get us corners. I thought we continued to ratchet up the pressure, and I thought we were playing very well when we scored.”
The tying tally came at the 78:11 mark, when senior Geoff Pezon collected the ball on the left side of the field and got behind the defense. He hit a hard ball against the grain and found sophomore Trevor Lee coming on strong, and the Seaford, Del. native ripped a hard shot from 12 yards that settled into the right side of the goal.
“Unfortunately, after we scored, I thought we let up a little bit,” McCarty said. “We weren't quite as sharp from that point on, and we really weren't dangerous until the second overtime.”
Nazareth actually outshot Messiah in the first extra session (2-0) and doubled up the Falcons in corners (2-1), but neither were particularly dangerous. It wasn't until the final minutes began ticking off the clock that the Falcons would finally strike again, making use of the team's final corner kick opportunity.
It was Ramirez which drew the free ball, as the San Cristobal, Guatemala native played the entire second overtime session on the left wing for Messiah. Ramirez sent a gorgeous, curving ball into the box, and Nick Thompson was there to meet it at its apex by the far post: Thompson's header went straight down into the ground and bounced high and out of the reach of Connolly, hitting the net just beyond the crossbar to end the game after a little more than 108 minutes of soccer.
Messiah's 24 corner kicks were the most in a single game in recent program history, while the Falcons attempted just 16 shots on the game. Connolly finished with eight saves in goal for Nazareth, while Fulks collected four.
“We were pleased with the result, but you have to give Nazareth credit,” McCarty said. “They fought and they battled, and you have to credit them with their willingness to work as hard as they did.”
McCarty's group will take a brief hiatus before returning to the competitive pitch Wednesday, when the team will travel to neighboring rival Gettysburg College. Match time is set for 7 p.m.
