GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Isai Hernandez scored the winning goal 1:40 into overtime as 18th-ranked Tusculum College overcame a pair of second-half deficits to beat defending NCAA Division II national champion Pfeiffer University 3-2 in a matchup of nationally-ranked men's soccer teams Wednesday night at Pioneer Field.

Jonathan Spicher sent the match to overtime by scoring the equalizer with 59 seconds left before Hernandez netted his second overtime goal of the year for the Pioneers (8-0-0), who beat a top-10 team for the first time since the 2007 season. Tusculum continues its best start since beginning the 2004 campaign with nine consecutive victories.

Hernandez collected a pass from Dallas Dunn, took two strides and fired a shot from 30 yards that skipped past Pfeiffer keeper Nicolas Dulac and set off a wild celebration at midfield in front of the seating area. Hernandez' other overtime goal came in double overtime against Queens in a 1-0 Tusculum victory on Sept. 14 at Pioneer Field.

The 6th-ranked Falcons (6-2-0) led 2-1 in the 69th minute and 2-1 in the 77th minute, only to see the Pioneers twice come back to knot the score. Santi Moar and Jaime Siaj scored for Pfeiffer, which outshot Tusculum by a 20-9 margin in the match. The Falcons also came into the match as the top-ranked team in the latest NSCAA Southeast Region poll, with the Pioneers ranked fourth.

Pfeiffer controlled the play in the opening half, nearly getting on the board in the seventh minute when a header by Juan Sanchez caromed off the crossbar. The only shot of the half that was on target came from Moar, but Pioneer keeper Jorge Alvarez made the stop. The Falcons outshot Tusculum 7-1 in the opening half.

In the second half, the Falcons began putting shots on the Pioneer frame, but Alvarez came up big on a header by Roberto Soares in the 50th minute and again on a try by Martim Galvao in the 62nd minute. Pfeiffer nearly took the lead in the 67th minute, but a loose ball in the box skipped past an open Falcon player. Less than a minute later, Moar broke the deadlock as he collected a loose ball and beat Alvarez at 68:06 for his fourth goal of the season and a 1-0 Pfeiffer lead.

The Pioneers, who put their first shot on goal in the 66th minute, drew even at 70:41 when a corner kick was handled in the box by a Falcon player, resulting in a penalty kick. Guillermo Lazcano went dead center on Dulac to even the score at 1-1 on his first goal of the season.

Just over six minutes later, Pfeiffer went back on top 2-1 as a through ball by Galvao was played by Siaj off Alvarez and into the net for his seventh goal of the season with 13:13 remaining in the match. Playing with the lead, the Falcons looked for more as they applied pressure on the Pioneer net, taking four shots in a span of 7 1/2 minutes. A try by Tusculum's Andre De Giorgi was saved by Dulac with 3:04 left, and the Falcons crept closer to a road win.

However, the Pioneers gained possession with just over a minute to play, and Rocco Menna served a pass into the box that Dulac bobbled and Spicher roofed for his first goal of the year and a 2-2 tie at 89:01. A last chance for Pfeiffer was not fruitful and the teams headed to overtime locked at 2-2.

A Tusculum foul early in overtime set up Pfeiffer in the Pioneer end, but the service to the box was played out. The Pioneers gained possession on a throw, and played the ball around to Dunn on the left wing, who centered to Hernandez at 40 yards out. Hernandez gathered the ball and struck a liner from 30 yards that rippled the net and gave the Pioneers the win.

Pfeiffer took 13 shots at the Tusculum goal in the second half, with five on goal, and finished the match with six shots on goal as a team. Tusculum's nine shots included five on goal, with a pair of saves credited to Dulac, while Alvarez had four saves for the Pioneers in the match. The Falcons had a 7-4 edge in corner kicks over the Pioneers, while Tusculum was whistled for 14 fouls to 10 by Pfeiffer.

Tusculum will return to South Atlantic Conference action on Sunday, Oct. 2 at Pioneer Field against Newberry, with match time slated for 4:30 p.m.