PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Lakeland University scored a pair of goals in just over a minute to turn a deficit into a lead, but Benedictine University scored with less than seven minutes left in the match and the teams played to a 2-2 tie in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference men's soccer match Saturday afternoon.
The Muskies and Eagles finished in a tie for the second straight year, after ending in a 1-1 draw last year. Lakeland earned its first point in NACC play and is now 6-2-1 overall and 0-1-1 in conference, while Benedictine is now 2-3-2 overall and 1-0-1 in the NACC.
On a damp, rainy day the two teams played a hotly contested match that was scoreless for a half with all of the scoring inside the final 41 minutes. The Muskies fell behind 1-0 after a Benedictine goal in the 50th minute but roared back to take the lead with a pair of quick strikes.
Lakeland tied the match with just under 19 minutes remaining when
Aaron Cortez (
Fr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) sent a free kick from 40 yards out into the box.
Jordan Davis-Troller (
Sr.-Cottage Grove, Wis.) got a head on the ball and redirected it inside the left post for the goal, his fourth of the season and 21st of his career to tie him with Ben Koepsell (2008-11) and Jeremy Hardy (2008-11) for fourth on the Muskies' career list for goals scored. Davis-Troller also now has 54 points for his Lakeland career and moved into fourth on the program's career list for points, surpassing Koepsell and Ryan Malo (2006-09) with his goal.
Lakeland would score again just 67 seconds later, as relentless pressure turned into a second goal.
Andrew DeJaynes (
Jr.-Springfield, Ill.) and
Isai Gil (
Jr.-Beaumont, Calif.) worked a give-and-go, and DeJaynes then centered to the middle to
Dunia Wangu (
Jr.-Milwaukee, Wis.), who buried the shot from 10 yards out for his 10th goal of the season and a sudden 2-1 lead.
The Muskies appeared on track to end a long winless streak against Benedictine, poised to defeat the Eagles for the first time since 2009 until a quick turn of events. A Lakeland defender's header clear attempt after a corner kick went to the Eagles' Manny Casillas, who ran on and struck a blast from 30 yards out inside the right post to tie the score.
The Muskies would get near the Benedictine goal several times in the final minutes but would not generate a shot. The Eagles had a free kick with 1.5 seconds left in the match straight on from 28 yards out, but the Lakeland wall deflected it and time ran out.
Benedictine had five shots early in the match, including several second-chance opportunities, but the Muskies largely controlled the first half even as the teams went scoreless in the first 45 minutes. Lakeland started out the second half similarly until a length of the field attack by the Eagles quickly went bad for the hosts, as Kamil Bok from the left side near the end line sent a cross to a cutting Kendall Andrewin, who hammered it in for the goal.
The Eagles finished with a 13-9 edge in shot attempts.
Ali Faiad (
Fr.-Tampa, Fla.) made five saves for the Muskies while Abraham Tiburcio stopped three shots for Benedictine.
Lakeland is on the road for its next three matches, starting with a trip to face Marian University Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Fond du Lac.
