Box Score Belmont, NC - It proved to be a day of missed chances for the Emmanuel College Soccer Lions as they left disappointed after a 1-1 tie with the Crusaders of Belmont Abbey.
The Lions took the lead early on when Blair Springhill got in behind the defense in the 9th minute and lifted the ball over the rushing goalkeeper, and the covering defender was unable to prevent the ball from crossing the line. The Lions thought they doubled their lead shortly after when Martin Mitreski's long range effort beat the Abbey goalkeeper, but the referee ruled it out for offside.
The Crusaders got themselves back in the game in the 21st minute when Patrick Kibler found the back of the net with a well struck shot. The teams would go into the half tied at 1-1.
The Lions had several chances to win the game in the second half, but were unable to make the most of their opportunities. The first fell to Jordan Davis as he found himself 1v1 with the goalkeeper but his shot struck the outside of the post. Nick Miller also had a 1v1 with 5 minutes remaining but his shot was well saved by the Crusaders goalkeeper. With nothing to separate the sides in the 90 minutes the teams entered overtime.
This would prove to be a cagey affair, as both sides didn't want to give much away in the remaining minutes. However, Belmont Abbey found themselves in behind in the second period of overtime but were denied by an excellent save by
Sebastian Jones.
The tie moves the Lions to 3-1-3 and 2-1-2 in conference play
The soccer Lions are in action again on Tuesday night as they take on Brevard at home with kick-off scheduled for 7pm.
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