Box Score Hartford, Conn. – Sophomore midfielder Sam Milbury (Peabody, Mass.) blasted home the game-winning goal with 5:26 left in the second overtime to lead the Trinity College Bantams to a 3-2 victory over the visiting Wesleyan University Cardinals in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) men's soccer action this afternoon. Trinity improves to 6-5-3 overall and 3-5-1 in the NESCAC with its third win out of eight overtime contests this fall. Wesleyan, ranked No. 9 in New England, drops to 7-5-1 overall and 3-4-1 in the league with its third consecutive setback.
Watch the game-winning goal
Trinity won the game on the lone shot of the second extra frame when junior tri-captain midfielder Tobias Gimand (Fairfield, Conn.) sent the ball high in the air toward the top of the box from the right flank after a throw-in and Milbury perfectly timed his kick to one-time the ball out of the air and into the upper left of the goal where Cardinal junior goalie Jack Katkavich (Farmington, Conn.) had no chance for a stop.
The Bantams also scored on their first shot of the contest, as junior forward Cody Savonen (Orleans, Mass.) converted on a well-placed feed by senior tri-captain Mark Perreault (Southborough, Mass.) in the seventh minute of play. Wesleyan answered almost immediately on a header by senior back Ben Toulotte (Boston, Mass.) off a corner kick by classmate Brandon Sousa (Waterbury, Conn.) 58 seconds after the Trinity marker.
Trinity took a 2-1 lead, scoring twice in the first half after Wesleyan had allowed only two first-half goals in its previous 12 games, when Gimand headed in a Savonen pass in the 21st minute. Quade made two of his four first-half saves to hold off Wesleyan on back-to-back corner kicks five minutes later, but the Cardinals broke through and tied it with an unassisted tally by sophomore forward Garrett Hardesty (Boise, Idaho) with 15:20 left before the break.
There were few close chances in the second half and Trinity held Wesleyan without a shot for the final 4:40 of regulation and both overtimes to finish with an 18-to-14 shooting edge. Wesleyan earned six corner kicks in the first half but none after intermission, while Trinity had two in the first half and one in the second. Quade finished with seven saves to improve to 4-2-1, and Katkavich totaled five stops for the Cardinals.
"Playing six overtime games in a row with some guys hurt, some guys getting sick on the field, everybody with tired legs, I could not be more proud of the way this team has battled," said Trinity Head Coach Mike Pilger. "Today we had guys like Andrew Bruno and Josh Leblanc who have not played alot this season come and not not just contribute but play very well. The whole team had to come together and dig deep because Wesleyan was excellent today as well."
