Box Score | Season Stats

BROOKLINE, Mass. – The Northeastern men's soccer team (5-7-0, 2-0-0) held Drexel to six shots, and received three saves from Jonathan Thuresson, before Ackim Mpofu buried the game-winning goal in the 97th minute to send the Huskies past the Dragons in overtime on Wednesday night at Parsons Field, 1-0.
 
Mpofu netted his second goal of the season, both coming in extra time, on Wednesday when he knocked home a loose ball into the lower right corner off an initial bid from Harry Swartz. It marks the second straight 1-0 victory for the Huskies, whose defense has now held conference opponents to one goal or fewer in nine of the last 11 league matches, dating back to last season.
 
NU held the upper hand in shots (16-6) in the game, while shots on goal were level at three apiece. The Huskies also generated a season-high 10 corner opportunities to Drexel's four. Tyler Afflerbach made two saves in goal for the Dragons.
 
Northeastern controlled the play during the beginning and end of the first half, outshooting the Dragons 7-3 through 45 minutes. Drexel had its chances, however, during the middle of the half with three corner opportunities, but the NU defense held Drexel without a shot on goal.
 
Lewis Aird and Charlton Muhlauri nearly connected for a Northeastern strike in the ninth minute on a give-and-go, resulting in an Aird shot that was stopped by Afflerbach.Frantzdy Pierrot had a chance of his own in the 24th minute when he fired a shot from the top of the box that got blocked by a Drexel defender.
 
Michele Pataia had a bid, the Dragons' best of the half, in the 28th minute on a hard shot from 20 yards out that sailed just wide. Late in the half, NU earned consecutive corner opportunities, but could not convert.
 
NU continued to control play into the second half, looking for chances to bury the game's first goal. Donovan Fayd'Herbe de Maudave tried to put the Huskies on top in the 51st minute when he got around one defender firing a shot off the back of Adam Arana. Harry Swartz created a couple opportunities for himself midway through the half, including one on a shot block that resulted in a Northeastern corner kick.
 
At the other end of the field, Thuresson kept the Dragons at bay with the save of the night, denying Michele Pataia on a rocket intended for the upper right corner, but Thuresson leapt to make the diving save. Drexel had another bid with six minutes to play in regulation when John Grosh and Aaron Thompson had a two-on-one situation, but Grosh's pass was too far left of Thompson, and the Huskies were able to clear and send the game to extra time.
 
In overtime, Drexel almost caught Northeastern on another odd-man run up the field, but senior Ambry Moss hustled to catch up to the attacker and to thwart the Dragon bid.
 
Minutes later, Swartz tossed a shot on goal from the left side that got knocked down before Mpofu buried the loose ball into the lower right corner for the game-winner.
 
The Huskies will be back in action on Saturday when Northeastern travels to Elon for a CAA matchup at 7 p.m.

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