Bucs win fourth in a row

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Sept. 8, 2012) – Junior transfer Luis Calzadilla (Caracas, Venezuela) played hero for the ETSU men’s soccer team on Saturday night, scoring his first two goals as a Buccaneer, including a game-winning penalty kick, as ETSU came back to defeat Radford, 2-1, in double-overtime at Summers-Taylor Stadium.

Radford’s (2-1-1) Matt Janssen was called for a handball inside the penalty area with 5:04 left in the final period, setting the stage for Calzadilla who beat keeper Ryan Taylor to the left side of goal. The score was the Appalachian State transfer’s second of the night, after equalizing the game with exactly 10 minutes left in regulation.

“We raised our energy in the second half, and that’s what you need to win a college soccer game,” said Calzadilla, who was forced to sit out a year in 2011 after transferring from the Mountaineers. “I was very calm during the penalty. I knew where I was going and I didn’t change my decision.”

ETSU (4-1-0) outshot the Highlanders 19-5, including an 11-2 advantage in the second half. Radford's goal came in the seventh minute on its only shot of the period, as Bernardo Ulmo punched in a free kick from 25 yards.

“We lacked a little energy in the first half,” ETSU head coach Scott Calabrese said. “We made some adjustments in the second half and were far better. That carried into lots of opportunities and a good bit of possession.”

The win was ETSU’s fourth in as many games, tying the program record for most consecutive non-conference wins.

ETSU was forced to come from behind under damp conditions to earn Saturday’s victory. Periods of light and heavy rain fell upon Johnson City most of the day, and Radford softened the spirits of the Buccaneer faithful just minutes after the first whistle. A foul was called on ETSU from 10 yards outside the top of the 18-yard box, and RU’s Ulmo stepped up and drove a shot in the upper-left corner of goal to give the Highlanders an early lead on their first shot of the game.

Though they trailed at the break, the Bucs controlled the majority of possession in the first half. ETSU outshot Radford 5-1, with Pugh sending in seven attempts from the corner.

The Bucs had two great chances to equalize in the beginning stages of the second half, but failed to convert. Junior Itode Fubara (Ogbema, Nigeria) and junior defender Maximilian Muemken (Muenster, Germany) were each presented with excellent chances from short range. Fubara caught up to a ball right in front of goal, sending his shot high, while Muemken made a leaping strike that also sailed over the crossbar.

Finally, on ETSU’s 15th shot, Calzadilla leveled the score. A minute after coming on, senior Franck Doumbe (Silver Spring, Md.) made an immediate impact, sprinting down the left sideline and sending a cross into the box. After a few Highlander defenders could not gain control of the ball, Pugh stepped in and found Calzadilla who snuck a shot through with 10 minutes to play.

“I just hit it as hard as I could,” Calzadilla said.

ETSU did as it has done for the past five years in overtime, finding a way to win. Janssen’s handball set up the penalty, which Calzadilla buried to improve the Bucs’ all-time mark in overtime games to 11-4-8.

Calzadilla and the Bucs hit the road for their next four games, starting with Davidson next Saturday at 7 p.m.

ETSU Notes

- ETSU’s four-game winning streak have all come in non-conference games, tying the program record for most consecutive wins against non-conference opponents. The program’s longest winning streak is five games.

- The comeback victory is the first this season for ETSU. The only other time the Bucs have trailed at the half was in the season opening loss to Appalachian State.

- ETSU has won its last two overtime games, beating UAB last Sunday, and is unbeaten in its last three.

- Calzadilla’s goals were the first and second of his ETSU career.

- Pugh’s assist was his third of the year, which leads the team.

For more information on ETSU men’s soccer, please visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men’s soccer links.