Quintonio Lema and his University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) Men’s Soccer teammates held a one-goal lead twice in regulation but couldn’t hold on as they posted a 2-2 double overtime tie in their home opener against visiting UAB at the UNCG Soccer Stadium.
The tie keeps UNCG unbeaten on the year at 1-0-2 and marks their second straight 2-2 tie after posting the same result last weekend at North Florida.
UNCG had the game’s first chance in the 28th minute of action off a corner kick. Freshman Faisal Almubaslat sent the ball into the box where sophomore Josh Masten flicked it to the back post. Junior defender got his head on the ball and sent it back across the grain past UAB goalkeeper Joe Kuzminsky, but it sailed over the cross bar.
UNCG took a 1-0 lead just before halftime as this time it converted a corner kick in the 44th minute. Sophomore midfielder Leeroy Maguraushe sent the ball to the back post where freshman defender Casey Penland rose above the defenders and hammered home a header for his first career goal.
UNCG came within inches of taking a two-goal lead early in the second half in the 50th minute off a set piece. Senior midfielder Ricky Chavez struck a shot from 25-yards out through the UAB wall, but Kuzminsky made a sprawling save to keep the Blazers within one.
UAB took advantage of a UNCG miscue on defense to tie the game at 1-1 in the 59th minute. UNCG had a missed clearance at the top of the 18-yard box where Massimo Ferrin pounced on the loose ball and slotted a ball from 15-yards out past senior goalkeeper Logan Rohde.
UNCG went on the attack after the game was tied and retook the lead in the 78th minute of action. Senior forward Damieon Thomas made a run down the right hand side and sent a cross through the box. The ball made its way all the way across the goal where Almubaslat deposited it into the back of the net for a 2-1 lead on his second goal of the year.
UAB had an immediate answer, scoring the tying goal just 23 seconds later. Once again, the Blazers took advantage of a UNCG miscue on the back line as UNCG turned the ball over at the top of the 18-yard box. Ferrin again was the beneficiary of the mistake as he took the shot from 15-yards out, beating Rohde and tying the game.
UNCG pushed furiously down the stretch looking to win the game and had three chances in the final 15 seconds of regulation. After a long throw-in, sophomore Alexander Lewis had shot from 15-yards blocked by a sliding defender. The rebound popped to the right-side of the goal where Thomas had the goalkeeper beat, but his shot headed for the back of the goal was cleared off the line by Tarnue Tyler. The second rebound came back into play with three seconds left but Maguraushe’s rushed shot was high over the cross bar.
The teams traded chances in the overtime period when UNCG held a 4-1 edge in shots to finish the game with a 22-9 advantage. Additionally, UNCG recorded a 7-2 edge on corner kicks but UAB tallied eight saves to salvage the tie.
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