FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The #3 ranked Indiana Tech men's soccer team played out the wildest game of the season so far to date with an incredible 2-1 comeback victory in the final minutes to take down Huntington University on Wednesday night in an instant classic.
The Warriors would welcome the Foresters to Warrior Athletic Field in a non-conference clash between familiar foes as the schools are just 40 minutes apart and have now played each other in ten of the last eleven seasons. Tech had a 6-2-1 record against the Foresters in those games heading into tonight's match and was looking to get back to winning ways after tying last season. The first half would be light on action, remaining 0-0 at halftime. Tech had more control of the game but no big chances in the first half with just one shot on goal. The game would change in the second half. With 20 minutes to play, Tech thought they had the breakthrough as
Joao Gustavo played a long ball in behind the Forester defense, where
Filip Maksimovic ran onto it and put it past the keeper to give Tech a 1-0 lead… or so they thought. After a discussion between the referees, the goal would be disallowed for a foul earlier in the play and the game would remain 0-0. A couple minutes later, Huntington would shock everyone with a goal of their own on a header to go up 1-0 with 18 minutes left.
The intensity would pick up again over the final fifteen minutes as the Warriors looked to make a comeback. The chances started coming immediately as
Robin Vezinhet put a shot wide, followed by a saved header from
Anderson Junior and a header just over the bar from
Touhami Bel-Hadj. Minutes later, Vezinhet would send a header toward goal and
Zak El Hannach would put one wide as the pressure mounted. As the Foresters continued to sit back and defend, the Warriors would grow more and more confident, despite the clock winding down. Then with just under five minutes to play,
Javier Lopez Medinaceli sent a cross into the box. Junior would get a head on it, but it would hit the post and bounce back into play, where Maksimovic timed up a perfect half volley and rocketed the ball into the net for the equalizing goal. The Warriors would rush to get the ball back to midfield to resume play. After an offside call on Huntington, Tech would retain possession and take the ball back down field into the Foresters zone. El Hannach would find the ball at his feet and whip in a perfect cross, where Vezinhet went up and headed it home past the Huntington keeper to send the stadium into a frenzy and give the Warriors a 2-1 lead with 1:47 left to play. Tech wouldn't allow Huntington another chance at goal, seeing out the final minute and winning the game.
The Warriors would record eleven shots in the second half alone as they pushed on to win the game. Maksimovic and Vezinhet scored the goals for the Warriors to lead the offense, while El Hannach provided the assist on the winning goal.
Alan Fleischer earned the win and had one save in goal for Tech, which was a great diving stop to keep the game tied in the second half.
Fabian Hauer would also have a huge defensive save when the Warriors were down 1-0 to keep it a one goal game.
The Warriors improve to 5-1-1 this season and will go back on the road in their next game when they play Marian University on Saturday, September 12
th at 7pm in Indianapolis, Indiana.
- TECH -
