Hollywood would be hard-pressed to come up with a better script for DePaul’s first victory of this young soccer season.
After Jalen Harvey scored in the 87th minute to tie Green Bay 3-3, Anthony Hunter scored the game-winner in the 93rd minute for a 4-3 overtime victory before a disbelieving partisan Santaga Stadium crowd.
You couldn't blame them.
Green Bay (1-1-0) appeared to have this one locked up after Art Garza was stopped on a penalty kick in the 83rd minute. Less than a minute later, Jordan Dover scored his second goal of the game for a 3-2 Green Bay lead.
"I was like, no way," Hunter said. "This could not be possible. But the team captains (Garza, Koray Yesilli, Brian Hindle) brought us all together and told us to keep on fighting and we would pull this out as a team."
Harvey made his captains look prophetic when he headed Hindle's high pass onto his foot and beat Green Bay goalkeeper Dani Alvarado to the lower right.
"When Harvey scored that goal, I knew we were going to continue on and win the game in overtime," said Simon Megally. "In the huddle before OT, I told the guys that I want to experience the feeling of winning an overtime game. We were 0-4-2 in overtime last year."
Just three minutes into overtime, freshman Alessandro Thomas won a ball in the midfield and sent a pass to Erik Rodriguez.
"Rodriguez squared the ball to me right in front of the goalkeeper," Hunter said. "I took one touch and hit a one-timer into the right side of the net. Everybody was going crazy. Coach Craig Blazer was really excited.
"I was happy to be the one to give us that game-winner, and this was a huge win for the team."
Megally was right in the middle of the celebration.
"It was one of the greatest feelings I've ever had," said Megally who scored DePaul's second goal of the match in the 41st minute off a free kick just outside the box. "It was a great play, and I knew he would put it away. We're hoping this will be the game that gets us over the hump."
Freshman Philipp Koenigstein scored DePaul’s first goal in the fifth minute on a header into the lower right after a cross from Garza. Megally made it 2-0 just before halftime.
Green Bay scored the next three goals, two by Dover and one by Audi Jepson.
"It was an unbelievable game," Blazer said. "We all have to appreciate how Green Bay was able to come back from being down two goals.
"When we were down 3-2, we kept going back to the things we do well and continued to execute. The guys still had confidence in each other and were able to make some plays.
"All these goals and assists show what we are capable of accomplishing when we leave it all out there on the field."
