Oilers Tie KWC in 2OT Thriller
Owensboro, Ky. – The University of Findlay men's soccer team traveled to Owensboro, Kentucky on Thursday, March 25 to take on the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers in a Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) matchup. Two goals in the last ten minutes of regulation by the Oilers forced overtime and, despite a great chance to score in the waning seconds for Findlay, the game ended in a 2-2 draw. The result gives the Oilers a 2-0-1 record on the year while the Panthers move to 1-0-1.
Early on in the game, the Oilers fired off shot after shot but just could not find the back of the net. On the other side, Kentucky Wesleyan managed just three shots in the first half but connected on two of them, giving the home team a 2-0 lead through the first 45 minutes of play.
The barrage of shots continued in the second half as Findlay ripped off five shots in the first eight minutes of the second half, but just as was the case in the first half, none of those attempts turned into goals.
It was not until there were ten minutes remaining that the Oilers finally got on the scoreboard. With 9:51 on the clock, trailing 2-0, Findlay sophomore David Hug, the reigning G-MAC Offensive Player of the Week, scored on an assist by sophomore Harrison Szep, giving the Oilers a spark.
Just six minutes later, with less than four minutes remaining in regulation, senior Jack Atkinson found the back of the net to tie the game at 2-2, ultimately sending the game into overtime. Atkinson's goal was assisted by freshman Nick McCracken and freshman Mitchell Hanosh.
Findlay managed five shots in the first overtime while KWC was unable to get a single shot.
In the second overtime, the Oilers had a couple of good looks at a goal, but none better than the very end. With just 30 seconds remaining, senior Josh Hales broke free with only the Panthers' goalie between he and victory. Hales' shot missed wide right passed the charging KWC goalie and the clock would expire, ending the contest in a tie.
In the game, Findlay took 27 shots, 12 on goal, while the Panthers managed just five shots, four of which were on goal.
Oilers' goalie Andrew Boulton played all 110 minutes in the net and had a pair of saves and two goals allowed.
Findlay has one more game on the road before returning home in the beginning of April. The next time the Oilers will be on the pitch is Saturday, March 27 at Ohio Dominican. That game will begin at 5:30 pm.