Box Score NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Saint Joseph's (Maine) junior forward Ross Suleski scored the game-winning goal with 5:01 left in the second overtime to lift the Monks to a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over the Norwich University men's soccer team on Saturday at Howard Field in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action.
Suleski headed home a cross from the left side sideline from junior midfielder Garrett Darnell to beat Norwich sophomore goalkeeper
Greg Payne (State College, Pa.) over his head to complete the Monks' come back and spoil Norwich's hopes of avenging last year's GNAC Tournament final loss.
After a scoreless first half, Norwich (7-4-1, 4-2-1 GNAC) struck first blood when
Mike Ravenelle (Merrimack, N.H.) beat Saint Joseph's (Maine) goalkeeper Scott Benner with a hard low shot from the top of the 18-yard box to give the Cadets a 1-0 lead in the 50
th minute.
NU clung to the one-goal lead for a little over 30 minutes before an own goal in the 81st minute broke the Cadets' impressive 460+ plus minute consecutive shutout streak that dated back to a 5-1 loss to Lasell on Sept. 19.
Jack Lafreniere took a thrown in that bounced off a Norwich player in the box and then deflected into the far corner of the net just out of the reach of Payne to level the score.
Just 30 seconds after St. Joe's tied the game at one, things continued to unravel for Norwich as the Cadets lost a player for a red card and were left with 10 men to finish the game.
Neither side was able to score again through the remainder of regulation, or the first overtime session. However, Suleski became the golden goal hero almost exactly halfway through the second overtime period to lift the Monks to the crucial three points and the win.
St. Joe's (Maine) outshot Norwich 22-18. Payne made six saves for Norwich and was saddled with his first loss since losing to Middlebury 2-0 on Sept. 11. Benner picked up the win for the Monks after turning aside seven shots.
The loss snapped Norwich's five-game unbeaten streak and now the Cadets will look to get back on track on Wednesday when they play their final non-conference match of the season at Lyndon State at 3:30 p.m.
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