Yellowjackets, Warhawks Battle to Hard-Fought Tie

Gio Rodriguez scored twice against Whitewater Saturday.

Box Score

Yellowjackets 3, Whitewater 3 (2 OT)

There is little doubt the UW-Superior men's soccer team's contest with UW-Whitewater Saturday afternoon provided fans with plenty of entertainment. Yet when all was said and done, both the Yellowjackets and Warhawks were forced to settle for a 3-3 draw in a double-overtime contest that featured high amounts of both action and drama.

Neither team foreshadowed an explosive second half heading after into halftime deadlocked in a scoreless draw. But once the second half began, so did the fireworks.

UW-Whitewater (8-3-3 overall, 0-0-1 WIAC) struck first, taking the lead just 3:52 into the frame as Sam Novak headed home John Gottwald's free-kick at 48:52, giving the Warhawks a 1-0 lead.

The Warhawks doubled their advantage less than three minutes later when Ty McCoy scored off another header at 51:17 for a seemingly comfortable 2-0 UW-Whitewater cushion.

UW-Superior (9-5-1, 2-1-1) responded to challenge as Gio Rodriguez (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Los Osos) netted the first of his two goals on the afternoon, making a deft move to his left before a firing a shot that deflected into the upper-half of the net at 63:15, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

The Yellowjackets completed the comeback at 78:02 when freshman Jon Bucklew (Somerset, Wis./Somerset) scored his second goal of the season, converting off a John Little (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata) free-kick with 12:48 showing on the clock to even matters at 2-2.

UW-Superior appeared to be on the verge of victory at 88:37 when Ryan Linsmayer (Dresser, Wis./Osceola) drew a penalty-kick with spin-move inside the 18-yard box with just 1:23 remaining in regulation. From there, Rodriguez calmly slipped a shot past UW-Whitewater goal keeper Josh Rohde for his second goal of the game and team-leading ninth tally of the second for a 3-2 Yellowjackets lead.

UW-Whitewater refused to give in however, evening matters with just 38 seconds showing on the clock when Jordan Wilkins found pay-dirt off a corner-kick from Michael Montanye, sending the game into overtime knotted up at 3-3.

Both teams created scoring chances in overtime, with the Warhawks holding a slight 6-4 edge in shots for the two extra sessions. Both Rohde and Yellowjacket goal tender Zach Harwerth (Anoka, Minn./Anoka) stood tall in overtime, combining to make six saves and preserve the 3-3 final score.

For the game, the Warhawks held a 22-16 edge in overall shots while the Yellowjackets had the advantage in shots on goal at 11-10.

Rodriguez and Bucklew each had four shots for the Yellowjackets while Harwerth made seven saves in net.

UW-Whitewater was led by Novak and Wilkins, who each had three shots apiece. Rohde finished with eight stops for the Warhawks in goal.

The Yellowjackets will take on St. Scholastica Tuesday in Duluth at Ordean Stadium. Opening kick against the Saints is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#0 Zach Harwerth: GK; 6' 0"; Senior

#15 Ryan Linsmayer: M; 6' 2"; Junior

#24 John Little: D; 5' 11"; Junior

#10 Gio Rodriguez: M; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#2 Jon Bucklew: F; 5' 8"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#0 Zach Harwerth
: 6' 0"; Senior
: GK

#15 Ryan Linsmayer
: 6' 2"; Junior
: M

#24 John Little
: 5' 11"; Junior
: D

#10 Gio Rodriguez
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: M

#2 Jon Bucklew
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: F