WORCESTER, Mass. – Edward Bass scored the game-winning goal with five seconds left in regulation and the Colgate men's soccer team took control of its own destiny with a 2-1 comeback victory over Holy Cross on Wednesday in the regular-season finale at Linda Johnson Smith Stadium.
With the win, the three-defending champion Raiders have extended their season as the No. 5 seed in the Patriot League Tournament. Colgate will travel to fourth-seeded Lafayette on Saturday for a quarterfinal showdown at 3 p.m.
Holy Cross (1-7-0, 3-14-0 Patriot) struck first 20 minutes into the first half, when Jack Ostrosky slotted a rebound past
Jacob Harris at the far post. The Raiders pounded five shots on goal in the opening frame and held a 10-5 edge in total shots but Holy Cross keeper Bobby Hurstak kept his team in front 1-0 at intermission.
Colgate (6-8-4, 4-4-1 Patriot) cracked the scoreboard early in the second half with the equalizer.
Kentaro Morrison was fouled inside the box to set the stage for
Drew Fischer. The freshman for the second consecutive game buried a penalty kick – his third of the season – faking right and slotting a low shot inside the left post in the 53rd minute.
Jacob Harris made one save in the second half, a key stop in the 77th minute to keep the score 1-1 late into regulation.
Ryan Krueger made a nice defensive play in the final minutes, throwing his body toward a shot to block the attempt.
The Raiders once again dominated the second half before Bass came through with the heroics in the final seconds of regulation. Morrison near midfield pushed a ball forward to
Kian Alberto, who slid to stretch a pass to Bass near the top of the box. Bass, aware of the clock, quickly planted and rifled home the game winner off the left post and in with just five ticks left.
BOTTOM LINE
Colgate 2, Holy Cross 1
QUOTES
Assistant Coach Simeon Steward
On the win and advancing to the Patriot League Tournament:
"We are proud of the way the guys have continued to grow as a group all season long. They have trusted and stuck with the process and it has shown these last few games. We earned another game tonight and we look forward to the next challenge at Lafayette on Saturday."
NOTABLES
- Colgate enters the tournament as winners of three in a row and four of its last five.
- The Raiders are making their fifth straight appearance in the tournament.
- Colgate's 20 shots Wednesday matched their season high.
- Fischer's goal was his second in as many games and he leads the team with 11 points on the season.
- Bass' marker was his third of the season and second game winner.
- Harris finished with four saves for the Raiders.
UP NEXT
Colgate and Lafayette meet in the postseason for the fifth time since 1987. The Raiders are 1-3 against the Leopards all-time in the Patriot League Tournament, with Lafayette claiming the most recent result 1-0 back in 2012. Colgate fell to Lafayette earlier this season 3-0 on Oct. 12.
