Box Score in HTML Format

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Forced to play a man down for over 53 minutes of action, the 22nd-ranked Christopher Newport men's soccer team played to a 2-2 draw at home on Tuesday night, against St. Mary's College of Maryland (9-2-2, 3-1-1). After picking up their first tie of the season, the Captains are now 11-2-1 overall with a 4-0-1 mark in conference play. 

The Captains' were victimized by an ejection in the 57th minute that led to a penalty kick goal, and despite re-taking the lead, the man-down defense was unable to stop a second equalizer in regulation. The game featured 47 fouls, seven cautions and one red card as the two conference opponents battled for positioning atop the CAC standings. 

While playing 11-on-11, the Captains offense dominated the game, outshooting the Seahawks 19-4 in the first half, including a 13-3 advantage in shots on-goal. CNU would get on the board early, when leading scorer Jimmy Grace converted off a nice flick forward by Stephen Durbin. After a corner kick soured, defender Harry Nodwell got to the loose ball and made sure the Captains would have another opportunity on goal. He looked ahead and lofted a perfect ball into the box where Durbin headed the ball toward the six. Grace chested the ball down to his feet, powered by his defender and then slipped a shot under the keeper into the left side. 

That would be the only goal three-time defending CAC Defensive Player of the Week Zack Haussler would allow in the first half, as he had a tremendous stanza between the pipes for the road team. Haussler was forced to make save after save, and piled up 12 total stops in the first half. About ten minutes after the first goal, he made one of the best plays of the day on a rocket shot by CNU defender Zach Douglass from about 35 yards out. Douglass smashed a shot destined for the left side, but Haussler made a fully extended diving save to stop the attempt. 

CNU carried a 1-0 lead into halftime, but just under 12 minutes into the second half, a big call forced the Captains into survival mode. Khalid Balogun started a play down the right side for the Seahawks, and pulled CNU goalkeeper Zach Pedini out of the box. Balogun then passed across the goal mouth for Nick Tait, who collected and looked to have a wide open shot on goal. Douglass made what appeared to be a stellar defensive play for the Captains, surging back between Tait and the goalmouth, denying the Seahawks senior the scoring strike, but the official ruled the ball was played off of Douglass' hand. By rule, the Captains' junior was issued a red card and the Seahawks were granted a penalty kick. Balogun stepped up and delivered the first equalizer after the play. 

Now playing a man down, the Captains' talented offense would not be denied, and retook the lead in the 69th minute. Senior Patrick Burns put away the go-ahead tally after a nice hustle play by Daniel Zeitoun kept the ball alive in the attacking third. He switched fields over the box, and found David Eddleton open at the top of the box. The rookie then shuffled forward a pass right to the feet of Andrew Gogolin, who dribbled forward and centered a pass right to Burns' feet. One of the Captains' top scoring threats made sure his one-timer was true, ripping the shot into the right side of the goal. 

The lead would not last however, as Balogun evened the score again just 1:28 later. He drove down the right side and then shot off the left post and into the goal.

Opportunities went both ways the rest of the game, with both goalkeepers making sensational plays to keep their team locked in a draw. The Captains' defense did a tremendous job holding down the league's leading goal scorer, Tait, despite playing a man down. Senior Harry Nodwell consistently built opportunities for the CNU attack out of the back while sophomore Bobby Seifert had a stellar performance anchoring the back line. Pedini made seven saves in the draw, while Sammy Blosser played the full 110 minutes and rookie Derek Cook manned the outside after Douglass was sent off. 

The CNU offense forced Haussler to make 16 saves in the game, as Patrick Burns led the attack with five of his six shots on-goal. Durbin and Grace each put three on-frame, while Gogolin and Nodwell added a pair. 

With the draw, CNU falls out of a first-place tie with Mary Washington, whom they host in another huge conference matchup on Friday night at 7:00 pm.