Overtime Tally Lifts Patriots Over WildCats
REDLANDS, Calif. --- The Randolph College men's soccer team's history-making journey through the NCAA Tournament ended Friday night as the University of Texas at Tyler got an overtime tally from Elijah Shipman in a 2-1 decision in action from Farquhar Field at University of Redlands.
The WildCats end the season with a program record 18 wins, falling in only six contests. Randolph also won its first Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) title, had a Player of the Year in sophomore Corey Sindle (Gloucester, VA/Gloucester) and also had head coach Bryan Waggoner tabbed as the Coach of the Year in the ODAC.
The game was fairly tame for the first 25 minutes. Texas-Tyler (18-2-2) was getting pressure but no good shots as the Randolph back-line was quick to clear anything dangerous.
The WildCats took the game's first lead on a set piece, this time on a corner kick, its only corner of the game. Sophomore Nick Cornell (Front Royal, VA/Warren Co.) lofted a ball to the back post, where Will Wolf (Goldsboro, NC/Cardinal Gibbons) headed it off the goalie and to the foot of junior Tyler Gilchrist (Bedford, VA/Liberty) who tapped it in for the 1-0 lead.
After the intermission, UT-T scored the equalizer just under 10 minutes into the second half as Victor Almendariz left-footed a shot into the right netting off an Elijah Shipman pass. With 13 minutes left, the Patriots were awarded a penalty kick, but sophomore keeper Carter Smith (Greensboro, NC/Grimsley) made a diving save to keep the game tied.
That set up overtime, where Elijah Shipman corralled a rebound off an Alonso Rivera shot and buried it beyond a diving Smith to put the Patriots in the sectional final. Randolph was outshot 20-10, but Smith made seven saves to keep the game tight.
The WildCats will return to Randolph College Saturday afternoon after finishing a season that saw so many firsts and records for the program.
This release is courtesy of the Randolph College sports informatoin department.