Upset-Minded UDC Squanders Two-Goal Second Half Lead in 4-3 Overtime Loss to No. 8 LIU Post

WASHINGTON, DC – Leading 3-1 just minutes into the 2^nd half, the University of the District of Columbia men's soccer team surrendered three unanswered goals to LIU Post, including the game-winner by Vittorio Argeri just 41 seconds into the overtime session, as the Firebirds' bid to upset the No. 8 ranked team in the country ended in a heartbreaking, 4-3 loss on Senior Day at UDC Field.

Sophomore Gabriel Torres, the nation's 3^rd leading scorer coming into the game, registered two goals and one assist in the bitter loss that saw UDC fall to 10-4 overall and 4-2 in East Coast Conference play. He now has 16 goals and seven assists on the year. Senior defender Victor Salinas Furio – one of four Firebird seniors to be honored before the start of the game – scored the other UDC goal.

LIU Post, two-time reigning ECC champions and heavy favorite to three-peat in this year's preseason poll, featured four different goal scorers today and four saves by winning goalkeeper Oliver Hessner Hansen as the Pioneers improved to 10-0-2 overall and 4-0-1 in league play.

UDC came out firing early as it took just 28 seconds to get on the board via a beautifully-executed give-and-go corner kick play. From the corner, Torres played the ball in short to junior midfielder Kelvin Hererra, who hit a touch pass back to Torres for a one-timer rocketed past Hessner Hansen for the game's first goal.

Eighteen minutes later, however, 6-foot-4-inch, 220 lb. graduate forward Lukas Ostermann got up in the air to head in a cross by Harry Pearse to force a 1-1 tie.

The Firebirds then went back on top just past the 37-minute mark as Salinas Furio headed in a well-placed corner kick by Torres for the go ahead goal. UDC took a 2-1 lead into halftime.

Just over two minutes into the second half, Torres willed his way through and around multiple Pioneer defenders in the box, and the left-footer used his right foot to sneak a shot just inside the right post to put UDC up, 3-1.

Still, LIU Post would not go away. Aided by a lopsided, 13-5 foul count favoring the Pioneers in the final 43 minutes of regulation following the Firebirds' 3^rd goal, LIU Post would also out-shoot UDC, 15-4 and take six corner kicks to UDC's one in that span of time.

The Pioneers took advantage, first with a Charlie Ledula goal off a corner kick cross by Pearse around the 55-minute mark, and again with the equalizer on the first goal of the season by Khalid Al Saud with only three-and-a-half minutes remaining. LIU Post would even take two more shots and two more corner kicks before the end of regulation, but the horn sounded with a 3-all tie.

The visitors needed only 41 seconds of overtime before Argeri completed the come-from-behind Pioneer victory by blasting a shot past Alvarez for the game-winner. Despite UDC out-shooting LIU Post 12-5 in the first half, the Pioneers had a 22-17 shot advantage for the game courtesy of a 16-5 disparity in the 2^nd half. Likewise, UDC took five corner kicks to the Pioneers' one in the 1^st half, but the visitors had six corners in the 2^nd half and UDC only one.  The hosts were also tripped up today by a lopsided foul count of 21-12, including the 13-5 disparity in the 2^nd half.

Hessner Hansen allowed three goals, but did collect four saves in the complete game victory. UDC senior Ever Alvarez earned his first start of the season in goal today and allowed three goals in about 54 minutes of action. He was relieved for a period of about 37 minutes by sophomore Joao Brusamolin who allowed one goal.

The Firebirds return to the pitch for another home game on Wednesday, October 18^th at 3 p.m. against ECC foe Roberts Wesleyan.