HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Ursinus College men's soccer team made a serious bid at a major upset at nationally ranked Haverford on Wednesday afternoon, but a direct kick from just outside the box in overtime helped the Fords come away with a 2-1 Centennial Conference victory.
Seeking its first CC victory in two years, Ursinus (4-10-1, 0-7-1) went to extra time for the third straight conference match, and fourth in the last five. Like the others before it, this one ended in disappointment when Will Corkery blasted a free kick that had just enough on it to trickle past Bears goalkeeper Vince Maiorino and into the lower right corner of the net with 1:49 remaining in the first overtime period. Corkery's strike gave Haverford (10-3-3, 7-1-0) its eighth straight win over Ursinus.
The Fords, who came in ranked 22nd in the NSCAA Division III poll and fourth in the Mid-Atlantic Region, needed only five minutes to seize a lead, with Jaimon Olmsted cashing in on a direct kick by Dorian Wirz to put the Bears in a quick hole. The visitors dug out of it in short order, however, as junior Kyle Woulfe put in a header following a scramble in the box just five minutes after that to level the match at 1 at the 10:05 mark. The goal was Woulfe's second of the season.
The next 80 minutes passed relatively uneventfully, though Maiorino made three saves in the second half and two in the first overtime period before Corkery sent the Bears home empty-handed. After an Ursinus foul, the Ford stepped up to the ball and ripped a shot on goal. Maiorino dove to his left and got most of the ball, but it trickled out of his grasp and across the line.
Haverford had a 16-9 advantage in shots and a 9-2 discrepancy in corner kicks, though Maiorino (five saves) and the Bear defense stood tall for the majority of the afternoon.
Jeremy Astesano took over for the injured Sam Miller between the posts for Haverford, making two saves in the final 56 minutes of action to earn the victory. Ben Field led all players with five shots, while Woulfe and sophomore Justin Molyneaux attempted two each for Ursinus. Woulfe's goal was the Bears' first against the Fords since 2013.
The men's soccer team concludes the 2016 season at Muhlenberg on Saturday.