Upset-Minded Firebirds Suffer 2nd Straight Overtime Setback in 2-1 Loss vs. No. 18 LIU Post

BOYDS, MD – The University of the District of Columbia men's soccer team was defeated, 2-1 in double overtime by No. 18 LIU Post on Wednesday afternoon at Maryland SoccerPlex.

After a scoreless first half and nearly 15 minutes gone by without a goal in the second half, sophomore transfer forward Maurice Schwab (Special Education – Vornholz Weg, Germany/Bielefeld University) took a beautifully-placed cross by sophomore defender Ricardo Garcia (Business Management – Oxon Hill, MD/Crossland HS) and fired a shot from inside the box for his 1^st goal of the season to put the Firebirds on top, 1-0.

The Firebirds did all they could to preserve the one goal lead, particularly senior goalkeeper Louis Connor (Elementary Education - Birmingham, England/Arthur Terry School) with a full-extension diving save to bat away a shot by Matias Ruiz in the 76^th minute. Eventually the East Coast Conference Preseason Player of the Year Per Forgaard blasted a shot right in front of an open net off of a cross by Johann Kristjansson to force a 1-1 tie with only a little over five minutes left in regulation and ultimately send the game to overtime.

Neither team could generate much offense in the first ten minute overtime period, and so the game headed to a second overtime period still tied, 1-1.

In the second overtime period, freshman midfielder Aaron Noel (Business Management – D'Abadie, Trinidad/Saint Mary's College) had a shot sail over the net just eight seconds into the period, as did junior transfer defender Victor Salinas Furio – who tried to score his 3^rd goal in as many games on a corner kick attempt by senior midfielder Elio Hernandez (Health Education – Germantown, MD/Northwest HS).

Less than a minute later, Jason Lampkin followed his own shot and scored the gamewinner at the 102:24 mark.

The No. 18 Pioneers improved to 5-1-1 overall and 2-0 in the ECC with today's win while the Firebirds, who have squandered one-goal leads in three of their last four games, fell to 1-5-1 (0-2 ECC). UDC is now winless (0-6-10) in its last 16 overtime games going back to 2011, and the Firebirds are 0-2-1 in overtime games this year.

Next, UDC will visit ECC foe Bridgeport on Saturday, September 26^th at 3 p.m.