After being held scoreless in the first 88 minutes of the match, American University men’s soccer (2-1) came back to defeat the Loyola Greyhounds (0-1) 2-1 in overtime Saturday. The Greyhounds dominated the Eagles until the final 15 minutes of the match, keeping AU from controlling the ball until late in the game.
At half-time, the Eagles did not have a single shot attempt and would only take six the entire match, compared to a Loyola team that took 15 total shots. AU’s shots were far more efficient, however, as each team had five shots on goal.
“We were trying to get the guys to stay calm, be patient, play soccer with tempo and move the ball into their half,” head coach Zach Samol said postgame. “Just trust the system, go for it, and be aggressive. Our drive and mentality is there. They were doing what we're teaching them to do. They just needed the execution.”
The momentum shifted in the Eagles’ favor when Loyola received a red card in the 64th minute. The red card removed Loyola midfielder Albert Kang from the match, making the Greyhounds play down a man for the rest of the game.
“I think we were coming into the game more, even before the red card. Obviously, a red card changes the game, but I think we were finding our rhythm even before that,” Samol said. “Once they're down a man, you can see the guys saying 'let's push, let's go.' When that goal finally goes in, thankfully, you feel like we can get another one and win it. I'm so proud of our guys for finding a way to get the three points.”
Senior midfielder Kyle Hellmann kept the Eagles in the game with a goal in the 88th minute, scoring off an assist from freshman midfielder Jason Bouregy. Hellmann struck again with a goal that sealed the game five minutes into overtime. Bringing the ball up the field, junior forward David Coly applied pressure on the goalkeeper and forced him out of the net, allowing Hellmann to sail the ball in unopposed.
The Eagles will look to extend their win streak to two next Saturday at 1 p.m. at Bucknell.
