Box Score BOSTON, Mass. – Playing its first match away from home in nearly three weeks, the Eastern Connecticut State University men's soccer team may not have come away with a win following its Little East Conference match at the University of Massachusetts Boston, but the Warriors were able to extend three lengthy unbeaten streaks.
On the strength of senior midfielder Mitch Power's (Douglas, MA) game-tying penalty kick goal in the opening 30 seconds of the second half, Eastern (7-1-2, 2-0-1 LEC) came away with a 1-1 double-overtime draw at the Clark Athletic Field.
With the tie, Eastern extended its unbeaten streak to nine (7-0-2) dating back to the second match of this year, its Little East unbeaten streak to 14 (13-0-1) dating back to 2011, and its unbeaten streak against UMass Boston (7-4-1, 1-1-1 LEC) to 14 (13-0-1), dating back to1999.
The tie gives the Warriors their seventh point in the conference standings, one ahead of Keene State College and Massachusetts Dartmouth, both of whom cut two points off the Warriors' conference lead with wins over Rhode Island College and the University of Southern Maine, respectively.
UMass dominated the play in the first 45 minutes, with Edmilson Barros scoring the first goal in the 26th minute. After receiving a pass right outside the Warriors box, the dangerous back took the Warriors defense on one-on-one. With a quick flick of the ball, Barros was able to get around the first defender. As he began to take on the second, the ball shot up in the air. He then made a great move around the final defender and just as the ball came down he would blast it to the near post.
The goal, which was unassisted, marked the team-leading eighth of the year for the freshman and was the first allowed by Eastern freshman keeper Greg Walton (Brunswick, ME) in 551 minutes and 16 seconds (more than six full games). Since giving up a goal in an overtime win over Ramapo College nearly three weeks ago, the Warriors had posted five straight shutouts
The Beacons had actually found the back of the net earlier in the first half, but that goal was called back after Barros was flagged for the offside.
After the break, Eastern, ranked seventh in New England, tied match on Power's penalty kick goal -- his team-tying fourth of the year. The Beacons were whistled for a clear takedown in the box on the play.
As time continued to wind down, the Warriors got their best chance of the half called back due to an offside. A laser of a shot from about 12 yards out nearly gave Eastern the advantage on the scoreboard, unfortunately for the Warriors they were flagged by the sideline official, ending the celebration abruptly.
In the first ten-minute OT session, UMass Boston recorded the only two shots, one of which went wide, the other blocked by an Eastern defender. In the second OT, the Warriors nearly walked away with a victory had it not been for a huge save by Rosales in the opening minutes. The Warriors would get off just one more shot before Marcus Pizzetti was able to return the favor with a pair of shots of his own, both of which were saved by Walton.
On the day, the Beacons outshot Eastern 19-7 and held a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks.
Eastern visits Wesleyan University in a non-conference match Tuesday at 4 p.m.
