Box score
BANNER ELK, N.C. - Lee Squires scored the golden goal in the
91st minute as the Lees-McRae College Bobcats defeated the Anderson
University Trojans 3-2 in the 2009 NCAA Tournament's Southeast
Regional at Tate Field Sunday afternoon in an overtime
thriller.
With the win, Lees-McRae improves to 17-2-1 overall and will
advance to the Elite Eight of the 2009 NCAA Tournament, which will
be held at Tate Field Saturday, November 21st at 7 p.m. against the
South Region winner Tampa. The Bobcats made it to the Elite Eight
in 2007, but suffered a 2-0 loss. Anderson, who made its first
ever NCAA Tournament appearance and Sweet Sixteen appearance, ends
their season at 13-4-3 overall.
Anderson's Lasse Sohrweide opened the scoring in the 17th minute
off a corner kick from Paulo Passini to give the Trojans the 1-0
lead, but Lees-McRae's David Palmer responded in the 22nd minute
cross from Jamie Price that Richard Guffens flick onto Palmer's
head for the one-timer and to tie the match at one.
After the intermission, it was Lees-McRae's Squires that broke
the tie with his goal in the 73rd minute. Palmer crossed the ball
to Squires, who was all-alone on the back post for the goal to make
it 2-1, but Anderson would answer in the 90th minute to the tie the
match.
With 29 seconds left in the second half, Anderson took a free
kick from just inside midfield that was cleared for a throw-in. On
the throw-in, the ball bounced around and was eventually headed in
by Anderson's keeper Lukas Hesse, who had left his net with time
running down, to tie the match at two and force overtime.
In overtime, it was the 2009 Southeast Regional Offensive MVP,
Lee Squires, who ended the match 59-seconds into the extra period
with his second goal of the day and third goal of the regional.
The goal was set up when, Southeast Regional Defensive MVP, Sean
Paradise, took a free kick from just outside the Lees-McRae 18-yard
box. Luke Perry brought the kick down at the top of the Anderson
penalty area and played a through pass to Squires, who struck it
near post for the game winner.
Lees-McRae outshot Anderson 16-12, but Anderson held a 6-3
corner kick advantage.
Joining Squires, the offensive MVP, and Paradise, the defensive
MVP, on the 2009 Southeast Region All-Tournament Team is
Carson-Newman's Ben Backstrom, Wingate's Luke Mulholland,
Anderson's Sohrweide, Adrien Moufflet, Hesse and Passini and
Lees-McRae's Guffens, Palmer and Jamie Price.
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