ETSU Rises from the Brink of Defeat, 3-2, Over North Florida

October 8, 2011

Yang scores in 2OT to earn the Bucs a vital three points

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (October 7, 2011) – Down 2-1 with two minutes to play in regulation, the ETSU men’s soccer team converted a penalty kick and then won, 3-2, over North Florida when Theo Yang scored less than 30 seconds into the second overtime on Friday at Hodges Stadium.

Senior Aaron Schoenfeld (Knoxville, Tenn.) lined up for the penalty kick with 1:52 remaining in the second half, after UNF’s Josh Ciambella was red carded for a foul in the box. The senior captain buried the chance to send the game into overtime, where Yang sent in his game-winner.

With the win, ETSU (7-3-1, 1-2-0 A-Sun) got a much needed three points in the A-Sun conference standings, after starting 0-2 against Lipscomb and Belmont last weekend.

UNF (1-9-0, 0-2-0 A-Sun) battled the Bucs with an equalizing goal midway through the first half, before taking its first lead of the match off a free kick with 12 minutes to play. Heading into Friday, the Ospreys had only scored three goals on the season.

The first 20 minutes of the match was all ETSU. The Buccaneers took five shots and two corners in that time span, persistently attacking the goal before sophomore David Geno (Kingsport, Tenn.) broke through with his team-leading fifth goal of the season. Geno lined up for a free kick a yard outside the box and sent a shot low towards the right post which found its way in to give the Bucs an early lead.

Just as all seemed to be going well, the Ospreys earned a corner and took full advantage. Maurici Valderrutten sent in the corner which ETSU headed away, but UNF’s Enrique Haeussler was there to volley a shot back at goal and over the hands of Ryan Coulter (Dublin, Ireland) to suddenly equalize the match on the Ospreys’ first shot attempt of the game.

At the half, the Bucs held a 7-3 advantage in shots and a 4-2 edge in corners, but the Ospreys held their own to keep the match tied 1-1.

A defensive first portion of the second half saw only four shots taken between the two squads. With just one shot to his name in the entire match, Haeussler struck again with 12 minutes to play. The Osprey lined up for a set piece from 20 yards out, taking a shot that avoided ETSU’s wall and went directly into the upper right corner of goal.

The Ospreys, with less than 12 minutes to play, now held their first lead of the match but needed to hold off a desperate Buccaneer squad.

Three cards were issued in the final minutes, as Nick Dykes (Nashville, Tenn.) and UNF’s Alek Slaveski were cautioned before Ciambella’s red card gave the Bucs the opportunity they needed. Schoenfeld’s penalty kick goal not only equalized the match, but gave the Bucs a man-up advantage through the overtimes.

The extra man showed through as ETSU outshot UNF 3-1 in the first overtime, and 1-0 in the second. The lone Buccaneer shot in the second frame came when sophomore Itode Fubara (Ogbema, Nigeria) collected a loose ball which he passed to Yang. The game-winning shot by Yang deflected off an Osprey defender and into the right corner of goal as the Bucs celebrated their first conference win of the season.

Continuing action in Jacksonville, the ETSU men’s soccer team plays Jacksonville University on Sunday, October 9, at 2 p.m.

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