Hawks Battle Bearcats To Double Overtime Draw
NEW YORK, NY – 90 minutes of regulation was not enough to settle the score between Hunter and Baruch Colleges on Saturday evening as the teams battled to double overtime, earning a tie in today's CUNY Athletic Conference match on a damp evening at Randall's Island.
click here for match results and statistics
A back and forth affair saw Baruch notch the first goal as a costly Hawk error set the stage for a Baruch penalty kick. A handball within the box led to Akil George converting on the penalty, giving the Bearcats a 1-0 advantage with less than four minutes to play in the first half.
Hunter wouldn't have to wait long for an equalizer as Freshman Nikolaos Orsanis scored his first collegiate goal with a header served by junior Mario Baez to knot it up at one goal apiece.
The Hawks continued to pressure the Bearcats, resulting in a flurry of fouls and cautions as the Bearcats' defense struggled to limit the Hawk runs. Baruch defender Kyle Keague was issued a red card at the 71:45 mark and sent off for dangerous play, awarding the Hawks a one man advantage.
Despite outshooting Baruch, 12-6 with four quality attempts on goal, the back of the Bearcats' net remained elusive for the Hawks. Senior Mario Rojas missed a golden opportunity to put the Hawks in front with a shot in the 79th minute, facing an open goal however his offering sailed over the crossbar.
Rojas and Baez led the offensive charge, notching four and three shots respectively.
The Hawks are now 3-6-2 (2-1-1 CUNYAC) on the season while Baruch is 5-4-1 (3-0-1 CUNAYAC).
Hunter returns to the pitch Wednesday, October 5th when they travel to Brooklyn College to take on the Bulldogs. Kickoff is slated for 4:00pm.
