Keelhaulers, Eagles Share Spoils in Thrilling Encounter
Keelhaulers, Eagles Share Spoils in Thrilling Encounter
Late Friday afternoon, The California Maritime Academy played host to Eagles from Embry Riddle College.
From the opening whistle Maritime controlled the game and moved the ball around the pitch putting the defending Cal Pac Conference champions under instant pressure.
Starting fullback Juan Melendez and freshman Austin Gearty were in sync causing confusion in the Embry Riddles back line.
A key player went down for the hosts, when starting forward Jeff Squire had to come off after a hard tackle just outside the Eagle box at the 20 minute mark.
Ryan Jackson was put on for the injured striker and would net the first goal of the contest when from 6 yards out he latched on to a cross from Patrick Wehan and headed home the ball into the top left corner.
The goal appeared to rattle the visitors and Maritime played out the first half deserving their 1-0 lead.
Visiting coach Adam Pearce made several adjustments, combined with a half-time talk which must have done the trick because the Eagles came out inspired in the second half. Maritime was on the back foot straight-away from the restart and Junior goalkeeper Brian Edminston was called upon to make several quality saves to keep the score level.
The Keelhaulers could not get out of their own half and slowly the visitors started to apply more and more pressure in search of an equalizer. Keelhauler Defensemen Alex Sykulski and Alex Martinez somehow kept the hosts in front by clearing a number of balls off the line!
It looked as though Maritime had done enough to pull off a major upset but the Eagles were relentless in their attack and with only 33 seconds left in the game senior Keldon Hatch would smash a shot past the outstretched glove of the Maritime keeper to tie the score.
The overtime period began with Embry Riddle applying instant pressure. Midway through the first overtime period it looked as they had done enough to win the game with a curling shot from 20 yards out. Only a brilliant tip over the crossbar by Brian Edmiston kept the score even.
The second overtime period saw more of the same as Embry went in search of the winning goal, but the Maritime defense was up to the task soaking up wave after wave of attack. When the final whistle sounded the score was tied at 1-1.
After the game Coach Christodoulou commented. "We played perhaps the best half of soccer a Maritime team has ever played; I thought we deserved our lead against a very good side. I am sure Coach Pearce would be pleased with how his team responded in the second half. They fought until the very end and to be fair were deserving of their goal."
With the tie, the Keelhaulers now sit alone in 3rd place in the Northern division of the Cal Pac Conference.