Nichols Edges Endicott in OT, 3-2
Oct. 14, 2008
DUDLEY, Mass. - Sophomore Mark Capitanio (Mansfield, Mass.) scored in the 99th minute to break a 45-minute deadlock and lift the Nichols College men's soccer team to a 3-2 The Commonwealth Coast Conference victory over visiting Endicott College Tuesday afternoon. First-year forward Brian Sanz (Framingham, Mass.) recorded a career-high four points in the game with a goal and a pair of assists, and orchestrated the game-winning tally.
The loss drops the Gulls to 3-10-1 (3-6-1 TCCC) on the season. Nichols (6-7-1, 3-5-1), which has now won two-straight in overtime, jumped out to a two-goal lead within the first 18 minutes of the game, but a pair of Endicott tallies in the 41st and 56th minutes erased the Bison's lead and the two teams were stalemated at the end of regulation.
Sanz, who was carrying up the left side of the field, flipped the ball across center where it deflected off an Endicott defender's foot directly to Capitanio, who placed it high in the upper left corner from the right side of the box.
After eluding an Endicott defender as he maneuvered up the left sideline, Sanz centered the ball to Aaron Kelly (Dover Plains, N.Y.) in the box to set up Nichols' first tally. Kelly buried his shot from the direct center for his fifth goal of the season in the 15th minute.
David Johnson (Canterbury, Conn.) set up Sanz three minutes later with a long, lofty service that Sanz raced ahead to collect before pushing past Endicott netminder Jack DeJesus (Swampscott, Mass.). Endicott came close to getting on the board in the 40th minute when Benjamin Graves (Peterborough, N.H.) fired at the net, but Johnson dove across the goal line to head the ball out of play.
On the ensuing corner play, however, Graves planted a rebound from freshman Ryan Coates (Wetherfield, Conn.) to bring the Gulls within one at 2-1.
It took just over 10 minutes in the second half for Endicott to knot the game. Junior TJ Sapienza (Milford, N.H.) collected a Nichols defensive miscue and fired from the outer left corner of the box past Bison goalkeeper Clayton Johnson (Williamstown, Mass.).
Nichols held an 8-2 shot advantage in the second half, and with 10 seconds left in regulation, Ryan Wytrych (Feeding Hills, Mass.) fired from point- blank range, but DeJesus made the diving save to keep the game going.
DeJesus finished with six saves, while Johnson earned his first win of the season with one stop.
Nichols travels to Eastern Nazarene Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. game, while the Gulls host New England College Saturday at 6:30 p.m.