SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Second-half tallies from freshman
Seth Crabbe and redshirt-senior
Joey Gallucci allowed the Shippensburg University men's soccer team to rally from a two-goal deficit on Thursday and achieve a draw in the 2019 season opener, tying visiting Nyack by a 2-2 score from David See Field.
Shippensburg (0-0-1) fell behind 2-0 in the 59th minute after a Moritz Albrecht goal from the visitors but recovered five minutes later to make it 2-1 on the first collegiate strike for Crabbe – one of four men making their Raider debuts in the match. Crabbe finished a short cross in the box from sophomore
Cory Ferguson, whose strong run up the right wing led to the tally.
Despite being out-shot by a 15-5 margin in the second half, it looked as if the strong start by visiting Nyack (0-0-1) would result in a victory for the visitors. In the final minute of regulation, however, a long through ball off a re-start in the SU zone from junior
Ben Warner sailed all the way down the field and found its way onto Gallucci, who chipped a ball past the oncoming keeper to equal the score at 2-2 with 43 seconds remaining.
Each team nearly achieved a golden goal in overtime. With six minutes to go, senior
Colin Marks rang a close-range shot off the crossbar. In the 109th minute, a Nyack corner kick sailed straight onto the foot of Lucas Fiuza, but his shot from point-blank range went over the goal.
Senior
Bradley Brickman, making his first collegiate start, was credited with four saves for the Raiders.
Shippensburg is next in action Wednesday with a road match at Chestnut Hill.
