The Winthrop men’s soccer team earned a 3-2 victory in overtime Saturday night, securing a spot in the Big South Conference Tournament.
The Eagles got off to a bad start, carelessly turning the ball over and giving up a goal to Radford less than 30 seconds into the match.
Nearing the 12th minute, Radford was awarded a free kick and scored again to take a 2-0 lead.
“Our guys didn’t stop fighting,” said head coach Daniel Ridenhour. “We dug down, and we stayed positive, and we kept knocking on the door.”
Ridenhour said he felt like Winthrop was “probably unlucky not to get a couple of goals” in the first half. The Eagles had seven shot attempts in the first half — three of which were saved, two of which were blocked, and two that missed wide.
Winthrop’s seven first-half shots outnumbered Radford’s three, and Winthrop remained more dominant during the second half, outshooting the Highlanders 14 to five.
Despite the lopsided shot attempts, Winthrop still trailed Radford 2-0 with five minutes left in regulation.
In the 86th minute, Winthrop earned a penalty kick, and sophomore Bryant Jimenez-Pearce converted to give the Eagles new life.
With 19 seconds to go, Radford’s Juan Benavides was issued a red card, giving Winthrop possession with one less player to get past.
The Eagles kicked the ball upfield and into the box as the final ten seconds began to tick off the clock. Players from both teams made contact with the ball before freshman Brigham Larsen located the ball and drilled it into the back of the net with just three seconds to spare, tying the game at 2-2 and forcing extra time.
After no team scored in the first ten-minute overtime period, Winthrop obtained possession of the ball quickly to start the second overtime. Chasing down a pass sent in front of him, Winthrop’s Larsen collided with the Radford goalie.
The goalie, Joseba Incera, had come off his line and out of the box, warranting a red card. Radford subsequently substituted a backup goalie (Joseph England) in for one of their other players.
England produced a save on the free kick that was rewarded from the previous play, but the deflection gave Winthrop a corner kick.
Winthrop’s first corner did not lead to a score, but the Eagles earned more corner kicks. On the third attempt from the corner, Winthrop’s Jimenez-Pearce curled the ball over the crowded box, netting the golden goal from the corner.
“If you weren’t at Eagle Field tonight, you missed an absolutely great match,” Ridenhour said.
Those students and fans who were in attendance (and did not leave early) not only witnessed a miraculous comeback, but they also got to participate in a top-notch celebration. After scoring, Jimenez-Pearce sprinted to the home sideline, leaping right in front of the crowd that stayed to see the Eagles through.
The Eagles play their final regular season game Wednesday at Gardner-Webb. Winthrop is slated to finish in either third or fourth in the conference standings, meaning the Eagles will host a Big South quarterfinal match on Sunday.
