The 22nd-ranked University of Southern Indiana men’s soccer team rallied from a 2-0 deficit to get a 2-2, double-overtime time with Missouri University of Science & Technology Sunday afternoon in Rolla, Missouri. USI, which has gone to overtime in each of its last three matches, watched its record go to 10-2-2 overall and 8-2-2 in the GLVC, while Missouri S&T goes to 7-1-6, 6-0-5 GLVC.
The tie drops USI to fourth in the GLVC with three matches remaining, percentage points behind third place Missouri S&T, a half-game behind the University of Missouri-St. Louis (10-3-1, 9-2-1); and a game-and-a-half behind league front-running Rockhurst University (12-1-1, 10-1-1 GLVC). Rockhurst and UMSL have the tie-breakers with USI after defeating the Eagles earlier this fall.
The Eagles got off to a rough start Sunday with the Miners scoring at 5:32 and 12:37. USI and Missouri S&T ended the half tied in shots with the Eagles getting the final three chances before the Miners went into the intermission with the 2-0 lead.
In the second half, USI quickly got onto the scoreboard to cut the deficit in half at 2-1. Freshman midfielder Morgan Kelly (Shelbyville, Kentucky) put the Eagles into the scoring column with his second goal of the season at 47:49. Kelly was assisted on the play by freshman defender Justin Brooks (Fishers, Indiana).
The Eagles knotted the game at 2-2 when freshman forward Eric Ramirez (Vincennes, Indiana) scored at 74:08. The goal was Ramirez’s ninth of the season, tying him with Eric Schoenstein for the most all-time by an Eagles’ freshman. USI junior midfielder Riley Belding (Columbus, Indiana) assisted on the tally.
After ending regulation tied, 2-2, neither team could gain the upper hand in the either of the “sudden victory” overtime periods USI and Missouri S&T had three shots with the Miner having the only shot on goal.
USI concludes its longest and final road trip of the regular season Friday at 5 p.m. when it visits McKendree University. The Eagles return to the friendly surroundings of Strassweg Field for the final two regular season games of 2016 when they host the University of Illinois Springfield October 23 at noon and Bellarmine University October 26 at 5 p.m.
