Connor Wadhams’ record-setting six-point performance leads to furious finish in Sunday’s non-conference clash

VALLEJO, Calif. – Early back-to-back goals scored by Lincoln (CA) in Sunday's non-conference matchup at Bodnar Field, within 80 seconds from one another, ended up being the difference between victory and defeat for Cal Maritime as it scored the last three goals of the afternoon — the final pair were earned while one man down — in a game the Keelhaulers dominated outside of that short timespan in the first half.

Trailing 2-0, Connor Wadhams cut that lead in half in the 27th minute on a counterattack feed from Jose Diaz that negated any momentum created by the Oaklanders based on their early goals.

Even though Lincoln (CA) responded to Wadhams' strike by scoring one goal with just over four minutes remaining until halftime, and less than two minutes after the second half started, a Cal Maritime turnover in the 54th minute led to the Oaklanders' final goal of the match, pushing their lead to 5-1 in the process.

From that point on, CSUM's defense stifled their opponent's attack; on the other end of the field, the Keelhaulers caught fire as their comeback effort started three minutes later when Josh Kuiper took a pass from Wadhams and punched it inside the far post to trim his team's deficit to three.

Cal Maritime's relentless attack continued throughout the final 33 minutes of action, until Diaz capitalized on a 1-on-1 opportunity that pulled CSUM within two.

In a blink of an eye, Cal Maritime trailed by only one when Wadhams scored again to record his first career brace, which lead to an eventual all-time program-record six-point performance — he also set up Diaz' goal in the 87th minute — for the junior midfielder.

With Lincoln (CA) clearly rocked by Cal Maritime's furious comeback, it was apparent to everyone in attendance how its defense clearly played in survival mode for the rest of the match — something they were able to accomplish as CSUM just ran out of time in a match the Oaklanders barely survived as they escaped Bodnar Field with a 5-4 win.

Cal Maritime's current season-ending four-match homestand will continue on Thursday against Stanton University, kickoff is slated for 5 p.m.