Thomas College and their six-strong contingent of Bermudian players suffered an agonizing 3-2 defeat in extra time to SUNY Delhi in a dramatic North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Championship match that exploded into life in the second half.
The team, featuring Bermudian players Tre Burgess, Stefan Simmons, Cody Robinson, Justin Sukdeo, Adio DeShield-Tankard, and T'syi Showers, was a tense affair that saw both teams trade blows after a cagey opening.
After a scoreless first half, the game sprang into action immediately after the restart, with SUNY Delhi's Umaru Conteh scoring in the 46th minute to take the lead. Thomas College showed resilience, levelling the match at 1-1 when Daud Abdi scored in the 68th minute.
The turning point looked to be a strike from the Bermudian contingent when Cody Robinson found the back of the net in the 73rd minute, putting Thomas College ahead 2-1. However, SUNY Delhi hit back late, with Conteh scoring his second goal of the game in the 87th minute to force the match into extra time.
The deadlock was finally broken in the second period of extra time. SUNY Delhi found the crucial goal in the 102nd minute when Aidan Gaughan fired home, securing the 3-2 victory and the NAC Championship title for SUNY Delhi.
The defeat marks a bitter end to the season for Thomas College, who came within minutes of securing the championship trophy.
