ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Senior
Alexi Velazquez scored in the 102nd minute and the Drew University men's soccer team earned a thrilling 3-2, come-from-behind win at Muhlenberg College in non-conference action Wednesday evening.
The Difference: With the two sides less than eight minutes from a draw, senior
Max Correa controlled the ball off a turnover and lofted a pass to junior
Aidan Cserhat, who quickly tapped the ball to Velazquez on the left side of the box. Velazquez beat the keeper 1-one-1 with a shot into the right side the net for his fourth goal of the season as the Rangers (4-2) flooded the field with the sudden-death victory. It was Drew's first golden goal since a 2-1 double-overtime win at TCNJ on Sept. 20 of last season.
Rally Time: The Mules scored twice in the opening 28 minutes, with their first goal coming just 37 seconds into the contest. But in the second half the Rangers went on the offensive, finding the back of the net twice to force overtime. Correa had a hand in all three Ranger goals for the night (one goal, two assists), and he kicked off the rally in the 62nd minute when he gathered a cross from sophomore
Nate Race and scored on the near post. Correa then set up the game-tying goal, feeding junior
Matt Asante 10 minutes later. Asante delivered a perfectly-placed ball just over the goalie's fingertips and into the upper-right corner of the net. The Rangers dodged a bullet when a long-range blast by the Mules clanged off the crossbar as regulation expired.
Between the Pipes: Junior
Jason Adamo made six saves - three in each half of regulation - while facing a 20-shot attack by Muhlenberg. He helped lead a defense that blanked the Mules over the final 73 minutes.
Stat Sheet - Drew edged out Muhlenberg in total shots, 22-20. A total of 31 fouls were whistled during the contest - 16 on the Mules and 15 against the Rangers. Muhlenberg held an 11-6 advantage in corner kicks.
Up Next: The Rangers continue their season on Saturday when they visit Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y. for a non-conference affair starting at 1 p.m.