GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University and Shaw University battled to a 2-2 draw in non-conference men's soccer action Wednesday night at Pioneer Field.
The Pioneers (2-5-2) outshot the Bears (2-6-2) by an astounding 39-9 margin, including 9-2 in overtime. However, Shaw keeper Theo Delaleu was spectacular for the Bears, making six of his 13 saves in overtime including five in the second 10-minute extra period.
Tusculum sent the match to overtime on a header goal by Nikola Vujicic with 8:06 left in the second half, and controlled the play after the Bears' Ben Zuhlke was sent off on a second yellow card with 13:25 left in regulation. Tusculum outshot Shaw 19-4 in the second half, 2-0 in the first overtime and 7-2 in the second overtime but could only get one shot past Delaleu.
The Pioneers wasted little time attacking the Bears from the outset, as a chip shot from Sokho De Souza went wide from 15 yards out just over 90 seconds into the match. Tusculum would go up 1-0 at 4:19 as a pass from Clement Dagorn was collected and crossed by De Souza to Sander Johansen, who flicked a shot past Delaleu for his first goal of the season.
Tusculum continued to bring the pressure as a shot from Arthur Le Gall was just wide of the frame from the top of the 18 in the 33rd minute. Shaw caught a break in the 38th minute as Eric Huete was able to spring Marc Almazor behind the defense, and he jostled his way to an open shot that beat Tusculum keeper Sam Gilbert and tie the match at 1-1 with 7:18 left in the half.
The Pioneers kept up the attack in the second half, with Johansen just deflecting a service wide of target in the 58th minute. De Souza nearly gave the Pioneers the lead in the 6th minute, but his shot from center went over the crossbar from 10 yards away.
Shaw went up 2-1 with 23:52 remaining in the match as a cross by Andrew Camilo was chipped home by Gianluca Evers for his second goal of the season for the Bears.
Le Gall was denied on a dive by Delaleu on his blast from 30 yards in the 71st minute, and again on a lunge toward the post in the 74th minute. However, Zuhlke fouled in the 77th minute and earned his second yellow card for an automatic ejection, giving the Pioneers the advantage for the final 13 1/2 minutes of regulation.
Tusculum found the equalizer in the 82nd minute as a free kick from 35 yards by Fabian Proesch went through several players in front of the goal and to the head of Vujicic, who put home his second goal of the season to knot the score at 2-2.
Delaleu withstood a furious Tusculum surge in the final seven minutes of regulation, punching a header by Le Gall off a Proesch corner over the crossbar in the 85th minute. The Pioneers had five corner kicks in the final 5 1/2 minutes of the match but were unable to convert as the teams went to overtime.
Vujicic had the best chance for the Pioneers in the first extra period, firing a shot high from 15 yards away. In the second extra session, Le Gall was denied on a dive by Delaleu in the 102nd minute, and De Souza was stopped a minute later.
With fresh legs coming on for the Pioneers, it was one of the newcomers who nearly ended it as Luke Murphy got in position on a corner and headed a shot that Delaleu desperately knocked away with one hand and over the end line. On the ensuing corner, it was the head of Dani Gongora that found the far post with the shot to keep the match tied with just under five minutes remaining.
It was De Souza's turn to nearly find the golden goal with just under three minutes left, as his shot from the top of the box was guided away on a dive by Delaleu. Having saved nearly everything at his end, Delaleu made a bid for the winning goal with under 30 seconds left on a free kick from midfield, but Gilbert came off his line to grab the shot.
The final chance of the night came with just under 10 seconds remaining, as the Pioneers hustled downfield and sprung Xavi Sandoica for a one-on-one chance with Delaleu. However, the Shaw keeper made his 13th and final save on a reaction play from close range as the teams dropped to the turf from exhaustion at the final whistle.
Gilbert had four saves in goal for the Pioneers, who had an overwhelming 16-1 edge in corner kicks over the Bears. There were seven cards and 32 fouls called between the teams, while each squad was flagged four times for offsides.
Tusculum will be back in the South Atlantic Conference schedule on Sunday as Wingate visits Pioneer Field for a 4:30 p.m. match.
