Box Score

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SEARCY, Ark. – The No. 6-ranked Northeastern State men's soccer team earned its first win in MIAA action with a 2-1 double overtime thriller over Harding University Tuesday at Stevens Field.

The RiverHawks (4-0-2, 1-0-1 MIAA) improved their all-time record to 12-0 over the Bisons (2-3-2, 1-2-0 MIAA), who dropped their second-straight league contest.

The two squads played to a scoreless draw in the opening 45 minutes, but it was sophomore midfielder Crosby Lee who put the visitors on top in the 53rd minute. Senior midfielder Juan Gonzalez helped on Lee's first goal of the season.

The game looked to be well in hand until HU earned a free kick from 30 yards out in the 85th minute. Jacob Stevens bent a shot into the upper left-hand corner of the net past NSU freshman goalkeeper Jackson Biles to send the match into overtime.

The two sides had chances to earn the victory, but it would be the visitors who would take advantage of a late error.

Junior forward Juan Peralta and sophomore forward Joel Mendoza teamed up to steal the ball from a Harding defender in the attacking third with a little more than three minutes remaining in the final overtime. Mendoza chipped the charging keeper to give Northeastern State the victory.

Biles (1-0) earned his first-career victory in goal for the RiverHawks after finishing with two saves. Harding goalkeeper Seth Peterson made five saves and took the loss.

NSU will now travel to Fayette, Iowa, for an 11 a.m. meeting with Upper Iowa University on Oct. 6.

Scoring Summary
NSU     0     1    0    1    –   2
HU       0     1    0    0    –   1

Individual Scoring
Crosby Lee (NSU) at 52:56 (Juan Gonzalez)
Jacob Stevens (HU) at 84:13 (unassisted)
Joel Mendoza (NSU) at 106:22 (Juan Peralta)

Goalkeeper Saves
Jackson Biles (NSU) – 2
Seth Peterson (HU) – 5

NSU COACH ROB CZLONKA
"We have only been able to get six matches in this season due to cancellations and postponements. This should be the halfway point of the season for us, and we're frustrated from not being able to play as many matches as we should. That time off has created a kind of preseason effect. So now we have to find our rhythm again. We're also missing a few of our key players. There are just a lot of things that have happened that have caused us to not be as smooth and sound as we would like. We gave up some silly fouls, with one in front of the box that really cost us. With that being said, I have every bit of confidence in the guys on the field to play to the level that I know they can. Fortunately and unfortunately, they didn't do that until the last overtime period. We played extremely well in overtime. We were very fast, and our passes were on target. We were turning and communicating very well. When we get going like that, it's very tough for teams to stop us. I'm very proud of our guys with how they played tonight. Every one who got into the game showed why we wanted them here."

-GoRiverHawksGo.com-