Hokie ClubRALEIGH, N.C. – After being down 2-0 with 39 minutes left on the clock, the Virginia Tech men’s soccer team rallied back to score three goals en route to defeating NC State 3-2 on the road at Dail Stadium on Friday night.
“We are very pleased to get the result tonight. They were able to score against the run of play, then the momentum started going their way. We started fighting back and then they scored the second goal early in the second half and took the momentum right back from us,” said head coach Mike Brizendine.
“We were able to take over the momentum from there after we received the penalty and after they took the red card due to our pressure. We did a great job, fought hard and were able to get two goals within a minute of each other. I credit NC State. Even after we tied the game at 2-2, they responded well and had some very good opportunities.”
Goals from freshman Merlin Baus, freshman Ricardo John and sophomore Som Essome fueled the Hokies’ furious comeback. Baus, John and sophomore Niels Kirch were credited with assists on the goals.
The Hokies (6-3, 2-1 ACC) were outshot by the Wolfpack (3-3-2, 0-2-1 ACC) 16-9 and the Wolfpack held a slight 4-3 advantage in corner kicks but the Hokies would take advantage of their opportunities to ultimately win the game.
The Wolfpack got things started in the 22nd minute when NC State’s Travis Wannemuehler took the ball down off of his chest and ripped a shot from 30 yards out that found the upper 90 to put them up 1-0.
The Hokies would managed a few chances but NC State held the majority of the play outshooting Tech 8-4. Freshman goalkeeper Ben Lundgaard was forced to make three saves in the opening stanza.
The second half was exciting to say the least. It was NC State who would strike the first blow in the 52nd minute. The Wolfpack’s Zach Knudson beat a pair of Hokie defenders and rocketed a shot past an outstretched Lundgaard to make the score 2-0 in favor of NC State.
A red card on NC State’s Matthias Fracchia would change the momentum of the game, however. The Hokies’ John picked up on a defensive miscue from the Wolfpack and found himself on a breakaway with an open net. With nothing left to do, Fracchia pulled John down in the box, received a red card and Tech was awarded a penalty kick. Baus stepped up to take the kick and put it past the Wolfpack keeper to make the score 2-1.
With the Hokies now a man ahead, the momentum shifted in favor of Tech and it only took one minute for the Hokies to score another goal. Baus played a beautiful ball that found the chest of John. John took the ball down, made a move past a defender and slotted it just inside the right post to bring the score level at 2-2.
Physical play from both teams ensued and as things got chippy it seemed as if the match would go into overtime, but the Hokies had other ideas. The Hokies found themselves in a counter attack with less than a minute left in the match. Kirch played the ball to a sprinting John. Just when it seemed like John would shoot, he coolly laid the ball off to Essome who placed the ball into the empty net to make the score 3-2 in favor of Tech with just 45 seconds left on the clock.
That was all it took as the Hokies recorded their fourth-straight victory and second-straight conference win. John now leads the team in points with nine on the strength of four goals and one assist while Som Essome barely trails him with eight points on two goals and four assists. Goalkeeper Lundgaard recorded his fourth victory of the season making an impressive eight saves in the victory.
“We were good in segments, but we have to get better and work on putting together a full game. We can’t be like that all of the time, we were fortunate tonight and we have to be more consistent in games. It’s a part of the maturing process and that will come with time. Regardless of the stats, we came away with the one that mattered, the score. The thing that we did the absolute best was not giving up tonight,” concluded Brizendine.
The Hokies are back in action on Tuesday when Tech plays host to VMI at Thompson Field. Game time is at 7 p.m.