LIVONIA, Mich. — Four games into the 2021 season, the Goshen College men's soccer team was outscoring its opponents 10-3 and had yet to give up multiple goals in a match. While the latter half of that statement is still true, it was the Maple Leaf offense that went quiet on Saturday as the team was shut out for the first time this year in a scoreless draw at Madonna University.
Goshen (3-0-2) mustered six shots in the 110-minute, double-overtime stalemate at the Madonna Athletic Complex. Each team took two shots in the extra periods, which included Goshen playing down a man for the final 21 minutes after suffering a second yellow card with 63 seconds left in regulation.
Matias da Fonseca led all players with 5 saves for Goshen and Lucas Bontreger had a team-high 3 shots. Wagner Gameiro took a match-high 5 shots and put 2 on goal for the Crusaders (1-0-1).
Madonna goalkeeper Youssou Ouendeno saved the only Goshen shot to hit the target, from Bontreger about a minute before the midpoint of the second half.
The teams combined for two shots in the first 20 minutes, and that figure would have made it to the half-hour mark had Henrique Eichenberger not added an attempt with 15:04 remaining in the half. Madonna took each of the first two corner kicks before Goshen got its first in the 44th minute but could not convert.
The Maple Leafs held MU without a shot in the third quarter but got only two themselves while each team had a player booked in that span. The Crusaders answered with two corners in the next 10 minutes and four in the second half, but the match still required overtime.
Goshen's Lucas Vilela opened the crossfire in the extra session with a hit that missed wide in the 93rd minute before Madonna answered with a shot on goal and a corner at the other end. Gameiro added another shot and was booked in the 99th minute.
Bontreger had another chance to end the game less than a minute into the second extra period, missing wide left but setting up GC's fourth and final corner of the night. The Maple Leafs had an 11-7 edge in free kicks while Madonna added 7 apex restarts.
Goshen opens a two-match homestand on Wednesday afternoon when it welcomes Cornerstone University to the John Ingold Athletic Complex. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. due to a women's volleyball conference match later in the evening.
