Bermuda’s Cody Robinson struck twice in a blistering first-half burst and compatriot T’syi Showers was also on target as Thomas College claimed an entertaining 4-2 non-conference victory over the University of Southern Maine Huskies.
Robinson and Showers featured alongside fellow Bermudians Tre Burgess, Chance Eve, and Justin Sukdeo in a fiery encounter that saw the Terriers dig deep to overturn an early deficit and see off a second-half fightback.
Southern Maine caught the hosts cold from the outset, breaking the deadlock inside four minutes to seize a 1-0 advantage.
However, Thomas College responded almost immediately through Robinson. In the 12th minute, Brynjar Johannsson picked out the Bermudian forward, who finished coolly to restore parity.
Less than three minutes later, the turnaround was complete. David Ivarrson turned provider to slip a pass into Robinson’s path, and the striker made no mistake, sliding home his second of the afternoon to push the Terriers 2-1 ahead.
The visitors pressed for an immediate equaliser, but Terriers goalkeeper Max Mulvey produced two sharp saves to protect the advantage. With tensions rising and bookings handed out to both sides in a fractious end to the opening period, Thomas College held their slender lead into the interval.
The drama continued after the restart. Nine minutes into the second half, the Huskies rattled the crossbar before Mulvey reacted superbly to push away the rebound and preserve the hosts' cushion.
Thomas College capitalised on that escape on the hour mark. Showers pounced inside the penalty area to bundle the ball home, extending the Terriers' lead to 3-1.
Southern Maine refused to capitulate, hitting back just three minutes later with a well-worked finish to reduce the deficit to 3-2 and set up a nervy finale.
The contest was settled in spectacular fashion in the 78th minute. Latching onto a loose ball in the box, Andrew Hodgins unleashed an audacious bicycle kick that flew past the Huskies goalkeeper to cap an exhilarating 4-2 triumph.
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