Box Score
BEL AIR, Md.—Freshman Nick Burdick (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) notched a header with 56 seconds remaining in regulation and sophomore Santi Meija (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) scored 59 seconds into the overtime period as the Harford men's soccer team pulled out a 4-3 (OT) victory over Montgomery College-Rockville on a chilly Wednesday night at Harford Stadium.
Meija, who had just two points before Wednesday's sophomore day game for the Fighting Owls (7-8-2, 5-4-2 MDJUCO), more than tripled his total with two goals and an assist on the night, including the game-winner.
The Knights (8-9-1, 5-5 MDJUCO) took an early, 2-0, lead in the first half as Saydou Kamara controlled a ball that deflected off a Harford defender and fired a rocket from 15 yards into the lower right corner at the 15:25 mark and Pablo Torrano beat his defender on the left side and sneaked the ball past freshman keeper George Tsakiris (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley) in the 29th minute.
The Owls looked like they would enter halftime with a two-goal deficit, but a corner kick by Meija set up sophomore Bryan Young (Jarrettsville, Md./North Harford) with a ball that he deposited into the net with his 6-foot-3 frame at the 42:41 mark.
Rockville would bring the lead back up to two goals during the 57th minute as Torrano sent a cross into the box from the right side that Bessem Collins finished with a header, but Meija would put the Owls within one, 3-2, at the 62:23 mark after converting on a penalty kick.
Harford would have two significant scoring chances during the next 20 minutes as freshman Jon Bizzell (Kingsville, Md./Redeemer Classical) missed well wide of the net during a one-on-one chance and freshman Mike Heiland (Fallston, Md./Fallston) fired directly at the Rockville keeper.
Sophomore Scott Covelly (Bel Air, Md./Fallston) would re-enter the game during the 84th minute to give the Owls an extra offensive presence and after a flurry of activity around the Rockville goal, Covelly would fire a shot from the right side that Carlos Canchasto saved, but Burdick would get his head on the deflection to notch the tying goal with 54 seconds remaining.
With one second left, the clock would be stopped and Kamara would be dealt a red card, forcing the Knights to play with 10 men to start the overtime period. Harford wasted no time in the extra period, as Meija fired a shot just over the net just 11 seconds into the period and would take control of a ball during a scramble in front of the net that he would put into the right corner for the game-winner at the 90:59 mark.
The Owls held a 23-15 advantage in total shots and had 11 corners to the Knights' five, while Rockville was whistled for 12 fouls, as well three cards, to Harford's two, in addition to two cards.
Tsakiris, who played 80:17 and totaled two saves on the night picked up a caution at the 33:46 mark, while Bizzell drew his yellow during the 85th minute. Mucho Pefok saw the first card of the night at the 27:15 mark, while the Rockville bench was warned at 62:23 and Kamara ejected at 89:59.
Sophomore keeper Taylor Dize (Bel Air, Md./Salem Christian) saw 10:42 in the net for Harford, while Rommel Fuentes and Canchasto split the halves with Fuentes totaling four saves in the first half and Canchasto making three in the second. Canchasto also played the additional 59 seconds of overtime, allowing the game-winning goal.
The Fighting Owls honored its nine sophomore players—Covelly, Meija, Young, Dize, Jared Ferguson (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright), John Deasel (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright/York), Brian Six (Pylesville, Md./North Harford), Alex Leadore (Aberdeen, Md./Aberdeen) and Shane Springer (Fallston, Md./Fallston)—in a pregame ceremony and have concluded the regular season. They will return to action for the NJCAA Division-I Region XX Tournament either on October 24 with the play-in round or on October 28 with the semifinals, hosted by Harford.
