Pioneer men's soccer suffers heartbreaking 3-2 loss to visiting No. 24 Crusaders
Elation quickly turns to deflation in double overtime

Oct. 16, 2007
MARIETTA, Ohio — After trailing by two goals just 10 minutes into Tuesday (Oct. 16) afternoon's rainy Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) men's soccer match with visiting No. 24 Capital University, Marietta College came inches from pulling off the dramatic upset in double overtime. Instead, Capital escaped with the 3-2 victory.

The Pioneers (5-7-2, 1-4-1 OAC) appeared to have won the game in the 102nd minute, when senior Joel Nau (Marietta) drilled a rebound into the back of the net. Unfortunately, a Marietta player was whistled for being offside, negating the play.

The Crusaders (11-1-3, 4-1-1 OAC) took advantage of the call by quickly working the ball up the right side of the field. Capital's Steven McCarthy then added to Marietta's frustration when he ended the game with a goal, also off a rebound, with 6:52 left in the final overtime.

The unfortunate series of events overshadowed a strong effort from Marietta, especially its defense, over the final 94 minutes of the game.

Capital out-shot Marietta 20-11 overall and 13-8 in shots on goal.

The Crusaders took a 1-0 advantage in the eighth minute when Tyler Mowbray sent a shot toward the right side of the goal that just sneaked its way between Marietta's keeper Casey Gray (Marietta) and the post. Heath Oberle assisted the play with a thru ball from midfield.

Capital took advantage of some defensive confusion to extend its lead two minutes later. Another thru ball, this time by Paul Sparke, made its way in front of the box. Gray, who realized he could not pick it up, appeared to clear it, but it deflected off a player and right to McCarthy, who calmly sent it into the open goal.

Marietta's defense settled down from there, and its offense was finally able to get through in the 68th minute. A foul in the box led to a penalty kick. Sophomore Delè Adedapo (Gahanna/Bexley) took the kick, beating John Snyder with a ground shot into the right side of the goal. The goal was his second of the fall.

The Pioneers tied the game in the 77th minute. Junior Brad Baweja (Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood) chipped a ball to sophomore Kyle Muth (Twinsburg), who had worked his way into the middle of the 6. Muth headed the pass over an out-stretched Snyder and into the back of the net for his fifth goal of the year.

The score remained tied until McCarthy's second goal of the game in the 104th minute.

Snyder finished with six saves for Capital, while Gray had one in 45 minutes and junior Steve Hagenau (Clearwater, Fla./Central Catholic) made nine in 59 minutes for Marietta.

Marietta will look to bounce back when it travels to Tiffin, Ohio, Saturday (Oct. 20) for a 2 p.m. showdown with Heidelberg College.