Box Score
Box Score in HTML Format
Box Score in PDF Format

YORK, Pa. -- Sophomore Ryan Balfour put the Captains on top early, but fourth-ranked York College (Pa.) scrambled for a goal with less than five minutes to go, and then on their home field, came away with the win in double overtime, 2-1. Christopher Newport falls to 6-4-1 overall, with a 1-1-0 mark in league play, while the top ten Spartans improve to 10-1-0 overall, 2-0-0 in the CAC with the dramatic win. 

The two teams were playing for the 11th time in program history, but the first as league opponents. After splitting the first ten matchups, 4-4-2, the Spartans trailed CNU with just over four minutes remaining on Saturday, but got a dramatic late-game equalizer to force overtime.  

After the Captains held off an early surge by the Spartans, they turned the tables on the home team and pressured the York defense. CNU used a fast-paced offense to get several attempts on the York keeper, Brad Schmidt, including the first shot on-goal in the game by Ryan Balfour. The sophomore forward cashed in for an early goal in the 13th minute of action, blasting home a shot from 25 yards out into the right side. 

Balfour's strike was just the fourth goal allowed all season by the Spartans defense. 

The Captains breakaway offense continued to pressure Schmidt, but the junior goalkeeper was up to the task the rest of the way, holding CNU to just the one first half goal. On the other end of the field, Christopher Newport's senior goalkeeper Sean Killion also had a sensational start in between the pipes. Both keepers had three saves in the first half, as CNU took the early lead. 

The Captains took 15 shots in regulation, and held a dominant 12-5 advantage in corner kicks in the first ninety minutes. In the second half, though, it was York that posted more shots on-goal. Increasing the pressure late in the game, trailing by a goal, it wasn't until the 86th minute of action that the Spartans evened the score. CNU denied six attempts on goal to that point, including a pair of spectacular diving saves by Killion, but the home team found the equalizer on a terrific lead pass by Jake Hower with 4:03 remaining in the contest. 

Hower found the foot of Taylor Brummitt, who took one touch and lofted a shot over the sprawling 6-5 body of Killion, tying the game at one goal apiece. The momentum would carry over into overtime, as CNU was unable to get a shot off in the extra time. The game-winning goal came just 1:23 into the second overtime period, when Chris Gillespie collected a bouncing ball in the box after a throw-in. A touch pass to the left side found Justin Kaiser with some space and a low shot skipped past Killion into the right side. It was Kaiser's first goal of the season. 

The come-from-behind win was the sixth straight for the Spartans, and delivered CNU its second straight loss. York outshot the Captains, 22-15, with a slight 11-9 edge in shots on-goal. Killion finished the game with a season-high nine saves, while Schmidt added eight saves to the ledger for York College. 

CNU returns to action on Wednesday, October 9 as they travel to Southern Virginia University for a 7:00 pm kickoff.