Whitewater 2, Yellowjackets 1
The Yellowjacket men's soccer team has become familiar with overtime in 2011, and that hasn't been a bad thing. Enterting Sunday's match at Whitewater, the Yellowjackets were 3-0-1 when playing in extra time. However on Sunday, the magic ran out, and the way it ran out made it even harder for the team to swallow.
With the score tied at 1-1 in the 96th minute, Thomas Shuldheisz (Andover, Minn./Andover) (Andover, Minn.) received a questionable yellow card which resulted in a penalty kick for the Warhawks. Logan Fye, who had already scored once in the match, put the kick past Yellowjacket goalkeeper Matt Elder (New Hope, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) (New Hope, Minn.) and Whitewater went on to the 2-1 win.
The demoralizing loss comes in a match where the Yellowjackets could have easily gained the victory, having had more opportunities and more shots than the Warhawks and carrying the play for stretches of the afternoon.
Fye opened the scoring early for Whitewater, scoring an unassisted goal, his sixth of the year at 4:53. The score would stay that way until late in the match. With just 4:17 to play the Yellowjackets got the equalizer when Alberto Rivero (Santander, Spain) got the ball near the corner of the field, and scored on a direct kick, bending it in around goalkeeper Aaron Sesselmann, making it 1-1. It was the fourth goal of the year for the sophomore.
With the momentum on their side, the Yellowjackets headed into the overtime, which had been so good to them in 2011. The late call, however, put the Warhawks in position to win, and Fye made no mistake, scoring on the penalty kick at 95:18 to give the Warhawks the conference win.
The Yellowjackets outshot the Warhawks 12-10 in the match, including having a 6-5 edge in shots on goal. Elder finished the match with three saves, while Sesselmann got the win, making five saves.
The Yellowjackets (9-5-1, 2-3 WIAC) travel to Minneapolis, Minn. for a non-conference match with Augsburg College on Tuesday, October 18. Play gets underway at 7:30 p.m.
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