Oct. 15, 2011

Box Score

BRONX, N.Y. - The Lehman men's soccer team wrapped up the City University of New York Athletic Conference portion of its schedule in heartstopping fashion on Saturday afternoon, defeating visiting City College of New York 1-0 in double overtime to finish the 2011 campaign 7-1 in conference play.

Lightning forward Oumar Niang ended the tense affair and set off a jubilant celebration in the 108th minute of play with his 11th goal of the season, corralling a pass from Guihounou Guede around the 18-yard line before moving in on Beavers' keeper Tayfun Kucuk for the game-winner.

The host Lightning came close to ending the match just before regulation time expired, and actually thought they had, but the referees ruled that Lehman's Luis Lopez had intentionally batted the ball into the net following a save on the goal line by Kucuk.

While neither team could muster much of an attack in the first overtime period, Lehman turned up the pressure during the second extra session.

In the 102nd minute Lehman's Assami Valian had a clean look at the net but failed to get any real force behind his shot towards Kucuk.  Less than two minutes later Guede came close to ending things on a well placed header only to have Kucuk in position once again.  Alex Linde, having entered with fresh legs at the beginning of the second overtime, tried his hand at ending the contest, but his header off a cross in the 107th minute was corralled by Kucuk to keep the contest going.

A lack of time remaining also worked to the Lightning's detriment at the end of the first half with Lehman looking to strike first in the contest.  With time winding down, Guede fired a corner kick from the right side into the middle of the goal box.  As the seconds ticked away a scrum ensued with the ball eventually finding the back of the net.  However, the horn signaling the completion of the half had sounded negating the apparent goal.

For the match Lehman fired 22 shots, putting 12 on net, to seven shots (three on goal) for the Beavers, who were kept in the match by the valiant play of Kucuk between the posts.

Lehman returns to action on Monday when it travels to New Jersey City University for a non-conference matchup with the Gothic Knights at 4 p.m.