Four days removed from its first win of the new season, the Slippery Rock University men’s soccer team headed west to Ashland, Ohio for a Saturday afternoon matchup with the Eagles.
The all-time series lead decisively belonging to the hosts, the Rock visited Ferguson Field in hopes of returning home with their first win against Ashland since 2010. The squads battled in unrelenting rain for all of regulation and a couple of overtime periods, neither gaining an edge, and the contest ending in a one-all tie.
The scoring opened in the middle of the 16th minute, moments after an Ashland shot missed left on the other end. Sophomore midfielder Hayden Seifert got a short-range shot off, which Eagles senior goalkeeper Nick Costa shielded from the net. The rebound, though, found junior forward Luke Picchi’s foot and was soon in the back of the goal.
The Green and White controlled possession for much of the rest of the first half, allowing only one more AU shot, which came in the 25th minute and sailed right of Matt Hunsberger’s territory. Both Kenton Keeslar and Justin Minda recorded shots on goal, saved by Costa, in the last half of the period.
Until the 83rd minute of the game, the two teams essentially traded fouls and used substitutions in the unseasonably cool temperatures. Then, in that minute, seven minutes from victory, Slippery Rock surrendered an equalizing tally to Jack Sarkisian off of a Yusuke Yasumasu corner. Both teams had shots at go-ahead scores in the final five minutes, but both goalies kept the scoreboard even to force overtime.
The Rock had two chances to take the advantage in the first OT period, each Connor Jobe and Kenton Keeslar notching a shot at Costa. Hunsberger also made a save in the 97th minute, his sixth of the game. The SRU goalkeeper would finish with a season-high seven saves.
Despite three Eagles shots in the second overtime, neither team could notch the winner.
Now 1-2-1 on the season, the Rock will head to the nation’s capital on Wednesday for another non-conference matchup against the University of the District of Columbia.
