ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. -- The Elizabethtown College men's soccer team found itself trailing Goucher late in the second half, but some last-minute heroics on the part of junior
Manny Velazquez helped save the Blue Jays as he converted a PK to make it a 2-2 draw on Ira R. Herr Field with the Gophers.
Logan Gisondi's first career goal came 4:04 into the contest as
Carlos Salazar and
Caba Alvarez helped set up the sophomore to give Elizabethtown an early 1-0 lead.
The Jays pressed for a second goal, but first-year goalie Jason Rivera denied Etown several times throughout the remainder of the first half to keep it at 1-0. It was Rivera's first start of the season.
Goucher, winless in the conference coming into Saturday, seemed the more inspired team in the second half as they threatened to tie the game and eventually did. That came in the 54th minute on a cross in from Tiem Kiuy. Jason Green-Adams bodied the ball and helped it along to the back post where Mzwandile Honde finished it off to make it a 1-1 game.
AJ Sison then put the Gophers ahead in the 68th minute as he followed up Drew Gentile's free kick shot that was saved at the far post, but Sison met the ball after crashing the goal and put it into the net to give Goucher a one-goal lead.
The Blue Jays were close to tying the game in the 88th minute as
Jason Stark ran on to a bouncing ball near the 18. Rivera had come off his line to try and clear the ball from harm's way, but Stark was a step faster and flicked a ball toward goal that was cleared away before going in.
Etown continued to press and with 1:15 left, Velazquez had dribbled his way into the box and around two defenders. He was clipped by a third and a penalty kick was awarded for the foul in the box. Velazquez stepped up to take the PK and slotted it home to knot up the game at 2-2.
Neither side could find a last-second attempt on goal as the game ended in a draw.
Elizabethtown hosts the regular season finale on Wednesday, October 28, at 7 p.m. against Moravian.
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