Box score
HARTSVILLE, S.C. --- The No. 10 Flagler College
men's soccer team scored 16 seconds into the second extra time
period on Friday evening to record a 2-1 victory over Lees-McRae
College in the first round of the NCAA Division II men's soccer
championship.
Flagler (16-3-2) outshot Lees-McRae (16-6-1) by a 16-10 margin,
including an 11-3 advantage in the first half, while holding a 9-6
edge in corner kicks. Marco Padilla and Brandon Langengerg each
tallied a goal for the Saints, while Will Frandsen added an assist.
James Smith (Eastbourne, England) tallied the lone goal for the
Bobcats, as sophomore Thomas Rusling (Sheffield, England) made
seven saves between the pipes. Camp Bissell tallied three stops for
Flagler.
The match remained scoreless until midway through the 44th
minute, while Langenberg found the back of the net from close range
to send the Saints into the interval with a narrow 1-0 lead. Smith
put the Bobcats back on level pegging in the 54th minute, finding
the back of the net with a free kick from 25 yards distance to even
the tally at 1-1 with his sixth goal of the season.
Each goalkeeper was asked to make several tremendous saves
throughout the remainder of regulation, as both net minders
recorded a trio of stops to send the match into extra time. Neither
team would find the breakthrough in the first extra time period,
sending the match into the second 10-minute phase when Flagler
struck quickly, scoring the match-winner just 16 seconds in when
Frandsen found Padilla for the deciding finish from close
range.
Lees-McRae is expected to return 17 letter-winners from this
year's Conference Carolinas Western Division Champion squad,
including all-conference selections Smith, Rusling, and James
Galvani (High Wycombe, England).
- LMC -
