NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Despite a second-half strike by Andrew Gogolin and a solid all-around effort by the CNU defense, the Christopher Newport men's soccer team settled for a 1-1 draw during a Capital Athletic Conference battle against Salisbury on a chilly Wednesday evening at Captains Field.
                                          
Celebrating Senior Day, Gogolin converted a penalty kick in the 56th minute to give the Captains a second-half advantage, but Salisbury responded 13 minutes later to even the score on the way to the double-overtime draw.
 
Along with Gogolin's efforts on the offensive end, the Captains suffocated the Salisbury attack. CNU limited the Sea Gulls to just seven total shots, including three on-goal. Bobby Seifert, Davis Pillow, and Zach Douglass helped keep the opposition in-check throughout the thriller, while Zach Pedini made a pair of saves between the pipes.
 
With the tie, Christopher Newport now sits at 11-2-1 overall and 6-0-1 in league play. Salisbury moves to 6-8-2 with a 2-3-2 mark in conference action.
 
Setting the tone early, the defense clamped down in the first half. Pedini made a solid stop off a corner kick in the opening minutes, while Douglass defended a long run up the near sideline and eventually forced an errant shot. Derek Cook also got his head on a free kick later in the period to stymie another threat.
 
Meanwhile, on the other side, Daniel Zeitoun and Michael Wilson put a pair of attempts on-goal during the first half, but both were punched away by Salisbury's goalie to keep the game scoreless entering halftime.
 
In the second half, the Captains picked up the pressure early on. Gogolin ripped a shot that sailed high, while Andrew Maeso drilled another attempt that was stoned by SU's goalie. Later, Maeso made a solid play at midfield to keep the ball on the offensive end before Zachary Ballard unloaded a blast that just missed the mark.
 
Although Christopher Newport was turned away during the initial onslaught, the Captains eventually came storming back and earned a penalty kick in the 56th minute. Taking the attempt, Gogolin buried the shot in the back of the net to give CNU a 1-0 edge.
 
With the lead, the defense settled in again. Maeso broke back, got his head on a lengthy feed, and later cleared the zone. Minutes later, Salisbury earned a corner kick, but Stephen Durbin headed out the initial attempt before Pedini swallowed the rebound.
 
Unfortunately, in the 66th minute, the Sea Gulls managed to find an opening off a 40-yard boot that was deflected along the left post to pull the visitors even at one.
 
Looking to avoid overtime, Christopher Newport went to work on the offensive end. Off a free kick, Zeitoun sent it to Davis Pillow, but the header went high. Later, Pillow and Douglass served in a pair of feeds to Durbin, but his first shot was stoned before his second slipped off the mark. With time ticking down, Samsu Sallah wiggled free on a sprint up the field, but his ensuing shot just missed the mark in the final seconds on the way to overtime.
 
Controlling possession in the extra session, the Captains continued to poke at the Salisbury defense. Gogolin and Noah Peizer both tested SU with on-target attempts in the first overtime period, but SU held up. Later, with 10 more minutes on the clock, CNU had a tremendous opportunity in the second stanza.
 
Four minutes into the second overtime, Douglass appeared to be the hero after bursting through a scrum near the right post. After collecting the ball, he fired one into the back of the net, but the referees ruled that the Captains were offside, and play resumed.
 
Moments later, Durbin sent a header towards the goal, and Maeso punted one from long range, but both attempts fell short as the two teams settled for the 1-1 draw.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday when the squad heads to Fredericksburg for a 3:30 p.m. battle with Mary Washington.
 
---CNU---