NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Despite outshooting the Tornados by over 3-to-1 in the game, the visiting Concordia University (Texas) squad proved a pesky out on Friday night as the Christopher Newport men's soccer team was forced to come-from-behind three times to earn a 3-3 draw at home. The Captains got a brace from
Manzi Siibo with a pair of game-tying second-half goals to help salvage the result after CNU finished the game with a 23-7 advantage in the shot column.
In the contest, Concordia managed just three total shots on-goal against the CNU defense. Unfortunately for Captains fans, all three found the back of the net to give the visiting team a lead. Each time, however, the CNU attack answered the call to erase the deficit and give themselves a chance at the win.
In the first half, Jesse Garfias put Concordia on top in the 32nd minute with the first shot allowed by the CNU defense. Minutes later,
Joe Summerfield and
Luke Peri connected on a dazzling equalizer that evened the score at one goal apiece. After a broken play forced CNU to restart through the back line, the Captains switched fields and
Asher Kuzemka surveyed the field before serving a long pass into the box down the right side. The pass from midfield reached the top of the box where a Tornados defender headed it backwards toward the goal line; Summerfield then cut off his defender and with his back to the field, popped a pass over the head of the unsuspecting mark. That's where Peri was left alone and the veteran forward blistered a line drive one-hopper by the keeper and in for the score.
CNU held a 12-1 edge in shots during the first half and put three on frame. CNU also had a decided 6-0 edge in corner kick attempts but faced a 1-1 tie headed into the break.
Just under nine minutes into the second half, Concordia again took a one-goal lead with a counter-attack breakaway in the 54th minute. It would be nearly 13 minutes later before the Captains could knot the game up again, this time at 2-2. The leading assist man from 2023 came through for the Captains again on Friday night as
Barry Jones picked up his second helper of the season in the 67th minute. He got a cross-field pass from
Jason LaViola that allowed him to attack his defender one-on-one and get into the box. After driving inside, he connected on a short pass to Siibo in the middle. Siibo settled the pass with his first touch and then hammered home the game-tying goal with his second.
Despite the Captains continuing to control the bulk of the action going forward, Concordia pulled ahead for a third time with a score in the 78th minute of action. It again came on a counter as Theo Givens scored off a pass by Antonio Rios.
Head coach
Justin Chezem changed formations to try and pull out a rare third equalizer and the move paid off just und five minutes later. The Captains got back-to-back corner kicks with less than nine minutes remaining and LaViola stepped in with a left footed in-swinger on both. The first rattled around in the box before a Tornados defender cleared the ball away back over the goal line, giving LaViola a second chance. This time, LaViola's cross from the corner was over the head of the crowd and left the back post wide open for Siibo, who crashed in with a header goal into the right side of the netting.
The second goal of the game and third of the season for Siibo would be the final tally of the evening for either team and the match concluded in a 3-3 draw. CNU took 23 total shots and put six on frame.
Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. as they host Widener University.
