ST. DAVIDS, Pa. - It looked like a heartbreaking loss for the No. 6 Messiah men's soccer team after the Eastern Eagles scored in the 79th minute to take a 2-1 lead, but a late equalizer from Stefan Leitzel in the 87th minute forced overtime. Reid Ruark netted the game-winner in the 102nd minute to lift the Falcons over the Eagles by a 3-2 final score.
 
Messiah scored first with Luke Brautigam netting the tally for the Falcons in the 20th minute. Eastern quickly found the equalizer on their first shot of the afternoon before taking a lead in the 79th minute. The Falcons needed the late score from Leitzel to force the overtime heroics from Reid Ruark in the 102nd minute.
 
In the game, the Falcons outshot the Eagles 36-5 en route to the 3-2 double-overtime victory. With the win, Messiah improves to 11-0-2 overall and 5-0-0 in the MAC Commonwealth.
 
Out Playing, Level Half
The Falcons were on the front foot for the majority of the opening half, outshooting the Eagles 15-1 in the first 45 minutes of the match. Despite the heavy pressure, Messiah was only able to connect once with Luke Brautigam connecting in the 20th minute off a cross from the right side. Cole Cristian delivered the cross to the back post for Brautigam, who headed the cross toward the left post. A diving keeper got a hand on it, but the ball trickled over the line for a 1-0 Messiah lead.
 
Messiah continued to pepper the Eagles' keeper, but it was Eastern that found the next tally. In the 24th minute, Eastern took possession and slipped a square ball to Derek Buhrman outside the box. Buhrman was falling to the ground, but took a shot the snuck inside the right post for a 1-1 equalizer.
 
The game-tying goal came on the Eagles' first, and only, shot of the period.
 
Despite their continued pressure, Messiah had to settle for a 1-1 tie after the first 45 minutes of play.
 
Wild Second Half
The halftime break did little to slow down the Falcons' attack. In fact, the weather began to turn at halftime with the wind beginning to push at Messiah's back. With the wind aiding them, the Falcons continued to pressure the Eagles with shot after shot, but Diesel Fiore was up for the challenge making a number of quality saves to keep the Falcons at bay. Fiore made a half dozen saves in the period.
 
Eastern did attempt a pair of shots in the 60th and 62nd minutes, but both missed their intended target.
 
Against the run of play, Eastern earned a free kick in the 79th minute just into Messiah territory. Gabriel Velazquez threw a ball into the box for Tommaso Garavaglia, who headed it into the back of the net for a 2-1 Eastern lead on just their fourth shot of the contest.
 
With just over 10 minutes remaining, and facing a deficit late for the first time all season, Messiah needed an equalizer quickly.
 
In the 87th minute, Lucas Kokolios lofted a high cross toward the back post for Matt McDonald. Since he was beyond the back post, McDonald headed the delivery back to the middle of the box for Stefan Leitzel, who headed home to equalizer to tie the match at 2-2 with just over three minutes remaining. The tally extended a goal scoring steak for Leitzel to five games, the longest such streak since Nick West netted a goal in 15-straight games in 2018.
 
Leitzel's late equalizer set the stage for overtime.
 
Ruark's Golden Goal
After Messiah attempted five shots in the first overtime period and were unable to find the twine, Reid Ruark got his second chance to play the hero this season in overtime. In the 102nd minute, Ruark was on the end of a scramble in front of the goal mouth that ended with the ball in the back of Eastern's net for a 3-2 Messiah victory.
 
The tally was Ruark's third of the season, which included a game-winning goal against Mary Hardin-Baylor in overtime in the season opener on Sept. 4.
 
What's Up Next
The victory moves the Falcons to 11-0-2 on the season and improves their conference record to 5-0-0 on the year. Messiah will be back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Stevenson to take on the Mustangs at 7:00 p.m.