Box Score
TAMPA, Fla. – It took 109 minutes and change for a victor to be decided, but the Eckerd College men's soccer program clawed its way to a defining first win of the season against 18th-ranked Clayton State (Ga.) University in double overtime on Thursday, 3-2.
With just 32 seconds left on the clock before the marathon match would be declared a draw, junior
Mark Lee rolled home the game winner, his second score of the evening.
After the final whistle, an appropriate dog pile formed on the field and even though EC Head Coach Steve Magee wasn't to jump in first, he said he was very close.
“It was a hard-fought game and the boys showed some character tonight against a very good team,” an elated Magee said. “
Mark Lee was outstanding. He's dangerous on the ball and can pick any pass; he can make those long runs in the box that are tough to stop.”
After the Lakers (2-1, 0-0 PBC) started the year with a pair of resounding 5-0 victories, CSU jumped from the pool of non-ranked programs all the way to 18th in the first NSCAA Top-25 Coaches Poll.
The Tritons (1-1, 0-0 SSC) evened the score against the Peach Belt Conference, starting the season with a frustrating shutout loss on their home field to the University of Montevallo (Ala.).
Lee headed in the match's first goal -- and EC's first of the fall campaign -- in the third minute to kick off the scoring in what turned out to be a see-saw affair off a feed from freshman
Nick Jackson.
The Lakers tied things up 14 minutes later on an unassisted score by Ado Junuzovic and the score would remain deadlocked at 1-1 going into the half.
Junior
Daniel Lopez countered with an unassisted goal of his own at the 57:10 mark in the second half, his first goal of the year, for the go-ahead tally.
But with just under 12 minutes left in regulation, Clayton State came back and tied the game in the 79th minute off the foot of Arturo Cruz. Junuzovic was credited with assist, his third point of the contest.
Even though Clayton State outshot the Tritons, 8-2, in the combined overtime sessions, it was Lee and his teammates with the decisive blow.
Lee's shot rolled over the line without finding the back of the net off a double-assist by
Matt Dolan and Jackson at the 109:28 mark.
The Tritons will carry the momentum into Saturday for another matchup in Tampa, this time against North Georgia College & State University at 5 p.m. Live stats will be available again for the game.
