BIDDEFORD, Maine — The Endicott men's soccer team scored two clutch goals in the final six minutes to triumph, 2-1, against the University of New England in the final regular season Conference of New England (CNE) matchup of the season on Tuesday evening at Barbara J. Hazard Field.
The first half was a story of strong defense from both teams. The Gulls and Nor'Easters combined for 16 shots in the first half (EC 9, UNE 7), but neither team created a clear-cut chance that gave them the advantage.
Both backlines fended off each other's multiple periods of pressure, and the game remained scoreless as the halftime whistle sounded.
The Nor'Easters opened the scoring five minutes into the second half, firing into the back of the net after finding space inside the box.
Endicott mounted the pressure on the UNE backline for the rest of the second half, viciously looking for the momentum-changing goal.
The Gulls were finally awarded for their offensive efforts in the 84th minute. Fisher Mills (Ridgefield, Conn.) capitalized on an errant backpass, tapping the ball around the keeper and calmly finishing into the open net to bring Endicott level.
The following minutes were high-pressure moments for both sides, as each tried to put together a game-winning play.
On the final chance of the game, Endicott pushed forward on the counter looking for a winner. Tiago Frazao (Trumbull, Conn.) turned into space inside UNE territory playing Konrad Krysztoforski (Bydgoszcz, Poland) who then fed the previous goalscorer Mills inside the box. The junior midfielder provided yet another moment of brilliance, he faked a shot cutting to his left and slid the ball right past the keeper at the front post for the last-minute winner.
With everybody behind the ball for Endicott in the final 48 seconds, UNE was unable to create an opportunity as Mills and the Gulls completed the comeback with a thrilling 2-1 victory.
Endicott goalkeeper Brady O'Toole (Concord, Mass.) tallied one save in the game as his regular season rookie campaign closes with a record of 10-1-1.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The Gulls conclude the regular season with the top seed in the CNE. They will have a bye for the first round, which begins on Saturday, 11/2.
- Mills has now scored three goals in the last four games, each of which has been a game-winner.
- Endicott outshot UNE 26-14 in the contest (17-7 in the back half).
- The Blue and Green lead the all-time series with a dominant record of 20-5-1.
WHAT'S NEXT
Endicott (12-4-2, 9-0-0 CNE) awaits the winner of Roger Williams and Hartford, which will be played on Saturday November 2. UNE (5-8-5, 2-5-2 CNE) sees its 2024 campaign come to a close.
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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)
