By: Laura Chapman
Assistant Sports Information Director
chapmal@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net
Photo: Cat Scholl
HUNTINGDON, Pa. – 110 minutes was not long enough to decide the game between Juniata College men's soccer and King's College this afternoon. The two teams played through two overtime periods and came away with a 1-1 draw. Freshman Dani Meyer-Arrivillaga (Durham, N.C./Carolina Friends) scored the lone goal for the Eagles in the 77th minute, off a cross from junior Nick Stone-Weiss (North Olmsted, Ohio/North Olmsted), for his third goal of the year.
"Overtimes are very emotional," said head coach Dan Dubois. "I think our team did a very good job of keeping their emotions in check 99% of the time. That made it so we could go out there and just play soccer. We still have to work on that 1%, but I was pleased with what we put together on the field today."
The first half opened on a high note with both teams challenging hard and looking for the early goal. Less than one minute into the match junior Nick Weit (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) headed a cross just off the King's crossbar. The Monarchs countered right away and the two teams traded shots on goal. Overall, the Eagles slightly outshot the Monarchs, 7-6, and held a healthy 5-2 advantage in corner kicks for the first half.
"We out shot them by a bit and we out cornered them by a bit, but that's a really good team," said Dubois. "I really respect what they do there. They put together a very competitive team top to bottom every year. For us to come out and compete with them was a great test. The guys learned a lot about themselves and what we can do this year. We're going to be able to grow from this in the long term."
Senior Andy Blunk (State College, Pa./State College) took two of Juniata's seven shots in the first half and continually found ways to pressure the King's back line. Emotions ran high as regulation time slipped off the clock without a score from either team. With less than 20 minutes remaining in the second half, the Eagles mounted their most promising attack, firing off a series of shots in front of the King's goal. Finally, Meyer-Arrivillaga nailed home a cross from Stone-Weiss to put the Eagle up one inside of 15 remaining.
"We've lost a lot of those tight overtime games so it was good that the guys stuck together," said Dubois. "The guys that we've relied on so much so far are veterans. They had the right attitude at the end of the game. They know where we've come from and what that game would have turned into two or three years ago. They really value what we're going through because they know what we've come from and that will make us tougher as we go through this season."
The excitement from taking the lead was short-lived for Juniata as the Monarchs were able to get the equalizer less than two minutes later. The Eagles did all they could to put the game away in regulation as they launched five shots at the King's goal in the closing 10 minutes.
"We had a few opportunities that we let get away," said Dubois. "But the guys aren't frustrated by that because they know the game was right there for us against a very good team. As long as we keep playing well like this through the year the main thing that we as a coaching staff will have to manage is the panic level that comes up. We're going to be in a lot of these tight games as we improve. We just need to get the guys ready by putting them in more pressure situations in training."
Both overtime periods continued the high-flying battle in the midfield that had been the style of regulation, but neither team was able to mount much of an attack. With just two minutes remaining before a tie would be called, both teams were getting desperate for the win. The Eagles defense held strong thanks to 110-minute efforts from both senior captains Seth Ruggiero (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) and Anthony Glossner (Centre Hall, Pa./Penns Valley). Juniata's freshman goalkeeper Blaine Barsch (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek) came up with a monster save to keep the Eagles undefeated on the season. King's midfielder Nialli Croke ripped a shot from close range that Barsch was just able to get his fingertips on. The ball ricocheted off his hand, into the goal post, and out of harms way.
"Blaine came up huge with that save in overtime," stated Dubois. "The defense as a whole stayed together very well. Seth played 110 minutes at center back and you really can't ask any more of him than what he did - same with Anthony right in front of him. The two of them played the whole match without a mistake and that's huge."
For the match, the Eagles outshot the Monarchs 21-14 and won the corner kick battle 9-3.
"We put 110 minutes together of the style of soccer that we want," stated Dubois. "The energy level waned a little bit at times, but we executed what we wanted to do for the whole game. We're going to stick to the on the field stuff we've been doing because it's working. Until someone figures out how to stop us we're going to keep doing what we're doing."
The Eagles are next in action at home Saturday, Sept. 21st, at 1 p.m. against Hood College.
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