UDC Squanders 2-0 Lead; Suffers 3-2 Double-Overtime Setback vs. St. Thomas Aquinas

SPARKILL, NY – The Firebirds struck twice in the opening 10 minutes of play, but the host St. Thomas Aquinas Spartans evened the score by halftime and went on to win the game 3-2 on a goal in the 2^nd overtime session in a wild Wednesday afternoon East Coast Conference battle at Spartan Field.

UDC, ranked No. 9 in the NSCAA East Region poll, fell to 7-5-1 overall and 3-3 in the ECC while STAC improved to 5-5-2 overall and 2-5 in league play.

The Firebirds scored on both of the first two shots they took in the game. First, senior defender Atunde Akum (Health Education – Beltsville, MD/High Point HS) scored his first goal of the season only 4:20 into the action off of a corner kick by sophomore midfielder Nenad Smiljanic (Health Education – Barnsley, England/Barnsley College). Smiljanic also assisted on the next goal, sophomore forward Felix Angerer's (Business Management – Bayreuth, Germany/Graj Minster Gymnasium Bayreuth) 8^th of the season just before the 9-minute mark. Very quickly, UDC had a 2-0 lead not 10 minutes into the action.

The Spartans answered with a goal in the 24^th minute by Julius Werner off of an assist by Ivan Gomez. Less than four minutes later, Werner assisted on Michael Corbi's 8^th goal of the season to force a 2-2 tie in the 28^th minute. The two teams headed into intermission tied, 2-2.

Neither team could find the back of the net in the second half or the first 10-minute overtime session. Three minutes into the second overtime session, Brian Kinsella scored for the Spartans in the 103^rd minute to complete the 3-2 come-from-behind victory.

The two ECC foes were very even statistically, with STAC holding a 14-13 edge in shots but UDC holding a 6-5 advantage in corner kicks. STAC goalkeeper Nicholas Palumbo and UDC junior goalkeeper Louis Connor (Health Education – Birmingham, England/Arthur Terry School) each faced seven shots on goal, with Palumbo making five stops and allowing two goals in the win, and Connor stopping four shots and allowing three goals in the loss.

The Firebirds will look to bounce back as they visit the top team in the league standings, NYIT on Saturday, October 18^th at 2:30 p.m.