Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
UCF
Herd Loses Overtime Heartbreaker to UCF, 2-1
9/26/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 26, 2010
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - A golden goal in the 98th minute from UCF's Cameron Cooksey lifted the Knights past the Marshall University men's soccer team 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at Sam Hood Field.
The Thundering Herd dropped its first Conference USA match of the season and falls to 5-2-2 (1-1-0 C-USA) overall. The Knights improved to 5-2-0 (1-0-0 C-USA) with the win.
In a match that featured 33 fouls and five yellow cards, UCF took the lead in the second half as the Knights were awarded a penalty kick in the 74th minute. MU keeper Daniel Withrow, who made two spectacular saves in the first half to keep the game scoreless, got his hand on the Nik Robson PK, but it found the back of the net for a 1-0 Knights lead.
The Herd, however, responded just six minutes later in the 80th minute as Withrow's free kick was headed home by freshman Matt Risher who tallied his second goal of the season. The two sides would play a scoreless final 10 minutes as Marshall entered its fifth overtime contest in nine matches.
In overtime, The Knights' Yaron Bacher took a left footed shot from just outside the 18-yard box which Cooksey deflected past Withrow for the game-winner.
"The bottom line is that we lost a conference game at home and it puts us right back in the thick of things when we could have had early control of the standings," head coach Bob Gray said. "We played poorly in the first half, but we settled down in the second half and I thought we actually had the better opportunities."
The Herd looks to rebound on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. when MU hosts Shawnee State at Sam Hood Field.
