GOSHEN, Ind. — Lars Razor scored the equalizing goal with 72 seconds left in the first half Wednesday night as the Goshen College men's soccer team continued its undefeated start to the season, playing to a 1-1 draw with Cornerstone University at the John Ingold Athletic Complex.
The Maple Leafs had the bulk of the chances in the game's early going, outshooting their guests 10-4 in the first half, and the stretch run, with 5 corner kicks to the Golden Eagles' 2 over the last 65 minutes, but found the sledding rough in their quest for a go-ahead goal and a fourth win of the season.
Cornerstone (1-3-1) opened the scoring on its second shot of the game, a Jeff Herrema strike from Abe House with 27:57 remaining before halftime. At that time, the scoreboard in the southeast corner of the Ingold Complex showed Goshen in the incongruous position of a 9-2 hot advantage and a 1-0 deficit.
GC took three corner kicks in the first 20 minutes, but the goal came from a far simpler tactic called "take the ball away from the other team and make them rue their transgressions." This was the method by which Razor scored in the 43rd minute, dispossessing a CU defender and depositing the biscuit in the basket formed by the south goal.
The Maple Leafs took three shots and two corner kicks in the quarter-hour after halftime, missing all three attempts high or wide, though they did hold Cornerstone without a shot for 25 minutes. Matias da Fonseca registered a save in the 82nd minute and GC had one last chance on a corner in the waning seconds.
But the second 45 minutes had failed to produce a winner, and soon the following 20 minutes of extra time would join it. Each team took two shots in overtime, Goshen in the first half and Cornerstone in the second, and there were also two yellow cards issued. The Maple Leafs held a 21-13 edge in free kicks but also suffered four of the five cautions.
Lucas Bontreger led all players with 5 shots for GC. Christian Galloway took three for CU.
Goshen plays its final non-conference home game on Saturday when it welcomes Siena Heights University to the Ingold Athletic Complex for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
