WASHINGTON, Pa. -- In a contest that saw both teams score game-tying goals in the second half, 110 minutes was not enough to decide a winner between the Washington & Jefferson College men's soccer team and Allegheny.
The Presidents and Gators both recorded their first tie of the season as the squads battled to a 2-2 result at Alexandre Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Allegheny claimed an early advantage with a scoring strike from Eddie Opalko from beyond the 18 yard box in the game's fourth minute of play.
In the final five minutes of the first half, both teams had defenders prevent shots that got by their respective goalies from going in. The final 10 seconds of the half saw Allegheny hit the crossbar in an attempt to go up 2-0.
The Presidents found the equalizer in the game's 57
th minute with
Joey Feola's (Carnegie, Pa./Central Catholic) second goal of the season coming from a corner kick off the foot of
Michael Komaniak (Oakmont, Pa./Riverview).
Komaniak put the Presidents ahead 2-1 in the 77
th minute, burying a feed from
Alex Molina (Bowie, Md./Reservoir) for his team-best fourth goal of the year.
The Gators responded with a game-tying goal of their own with just over four minutes remaining in regulation off the foot of Matt Massucci.
In overtime the Presidents staved off an Allegheny free kick from just beyond the penalty area.
W&J narrowly missed game-winning goals when the Gators' Shane Lisman prevented a surefire game-winner from
Dylan Mayanja (Camp Hill, Pa./Camp Hill) with a save off the line, and an attempt by
Zach Bowser (Beaver, Pa./Beaver Area) rolled just wide of the left post.
In the second OT,
Colin Martincic's (Breidgeville, Pa./South Fayette) free kick was saved by Allegheny's Jack Barron-Sluga and Allegheny had a shot sail just over the crossbar in the final minutes of the contest.
The team stats reflected a very even matchup. Allegheny held a 22-20 advantage in shots and an 11-10 edge in shots on goal. W&J finished with nine saves while the Gators had eight. The teams combined for a total of 11 fouls, six for Allegheny and five for W&J.
Komaniak led W&J with six shots, four on goal, a goal and an assist. Mayanja and Martincic each added two shots on goal.
Samuel Miller (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg collected six saves over the course of the second half and both overtimes.
W&J (3-6-1) begins Presidents' Athletic Conference play Saturday by hosting the defending conference champions Westminster at 3:30 p.m.
