Roberto Pimentel scored on a free kick 7:24 into overtime to
give Tusculum College a 3-2 victory at Lincoln Memorial University
Tuesday afternoon in South Atlantic Conference men's soccer
action.
Pimentel's third goal of the season gave the Pioneers (6-7-1, 5-1-0
SAC) their sixth win in seven matches and their first victory in
four overtime games this year. The Railsplitters (6-4-3, 5-1-0 SAC)
dropped into a three-way tie for second place in the SAC with
Tusculum and Mars Hill with their first league loss of the
season.
Mario Pinto scored a pair of goals -- one in each half -- to give
the Railsplitters a 2-1 lead with 31 minutes to play. However, a
red card left the Railsplitters a man down for the final 27 minutes
of regulation, and the Pioneers took advantage as Javier Portillo
tallied the equalizer with 18:39 remaining to force overtime.
Tusculum took a 1-0 lead at 10:36 when Carter Dorton scored his
first goal of the season as his crossing pass deflected off an LMU
defender into the goal. Pontus Rosen was credited with the assist
on Dorton's tally.
Pinto answered with his 11th goal of the season at 24:02 and his
12th at 59:19 to give LMU a 2-1 lead, but the Railsplitters had a
man sent off at 63:05 to give the Pioneers the advantage. Portillo
chipped home the tying goal, his fourth of the season, off an
assist by Pimentel at 71:21 to knot the score at 2-2.
Pinto's bid for the hat trick was denied by Tusculum goalkeeper
Andy Goellner with 9:26 left, and the Pioneers took the final three
shots of regulation but could not convert as the teams headed to
overtime.
Goellner came up with two more saves on scoring chances by Pinto to
keep the match tied, and Pimentel cashed in with the game-winner
with 2:36 left in the first extra period to send the Pioneers home
with the victory.
LMU finished with a 15-13 edge in shots over Tusculum, while the
Pioneers held a 9-6 advantage on corner kicks. A total of 33 fouls
were whistled in the match along with six cards, three to each
side.
Goellner finished with nine saves in the victory for the Pioneers,
while LMU's Michael Watkins finished with three stops.
The Pioneers close out their regular-season home schedule on
Saturday against Catawba beginning at 4 p.m. at Pioneer Field.
