In their first outing this season, the Maple Leafs came away with a tie against Saint Mary-of-the-Woods 2-2. The Leafs started with an early lead in the 9th minute after a goal from Martim Alves, making him the first freshman in 10 years to score the first goal of the season.
The Pomeroys found their answer near the end of the first half in an answer from Andreas Gomes, who was assisted by Jacob Quintana. Shortly after the goal was scored, tying things up 1-1, Goshen picked up their first yellow card of the match, awarded to Jorge Silva.
This was the start of a trend that carried through the whole second half, as less than two minutes in, Diogo Coelho was awarded a yellow as well. Only a few plays later, the Pomeroys took the lead for the first time after a goal from Nikolas Kellner, who was assisted by Mitchell Stewart.
The tide then turned in the 54th and 56th minutes as the same Kellner and Stewart also received subsequent yellow cards. Less than a minute after the caution to Stewart, David Hidalgo Muniáin for the Leafs was also carded.
The trend flipped once more in the 69th and 84th minutes back to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods when Lehyan Nseke and Marc Valderrama became the sixth and seventh yellow cards of the match.
Mere minutes later, Goshen finally found the tying point after a diving header from Isaac Enciso after the assist from Kyle Phillips and Alves.
However, the goal was in some ways overshadowed by the five yellow cards that were awarded immediately afterward to all of Goshen's bench when they rushed the field in celebration. These cards were awarded to Zeke Bodiker, Felipe Mogollon, Afonso Soares, Dinis Dias, and Guilherme Mello.
Less than two minutes later the celebration was further dampened when Hidalgo Muniáin received his second yellow card of the match and set the team down a man, as those cautions add up to a red.
Then, with only six seconds remaining, Soares received his second yellow of the match for delaying the game in an unsportsmanlike manner, meaning that the Leafs were down to nine players when the final whistle blew, and they will have to serve a one-game suspension.
The Leafs are back in action on Monday, Aug. 24 at 1 p.m. to face Cleary University in their home opener.
