WICHITA, KAN. - The debut appearance for Madison College at the
NJCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championships resulted in a 3-2 setback to CCBC Essex, marking the team's first loss and ending a program-record 19-match unbeaten streak. The #9-seeded WolfPack nearly completed a massive second half comeback after falling behind 3-0 in the first 33 minutes against the #5-seeded Knights to begin play in Pool D.
CCBC Essex (18-4) went ahead 1-0 in the 10' with a missile kicked past freshman goalkeeper
Caylen Coventry, snapping a streak of 280 consecutive scoreless minutes in the postseason. The Knights added two more goals with impressive kicks in the 17' and 33'.
The WolfPack did not fold; however, and dominated the ball for much of the second half. The tide began to turn in the 56' when a corner kick by sophomore
Dan Fox, who played with Neosho County Community College in the national tournament last season, sailed towards the far post and was headed in by freshman
Justyn Blair. It's the fourth goal of the season and second in the postseason for the Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, native.
Madison College continued to press and create potential scoring opportunities, and in the 73', they narrowed the gap to a single goal. A foul inside the penalty area resulted in a penalty kick for Fox, and the native of Canberra, Australia, converted his second goal of the season.
Looking for the equalizer, the Pack saw a shot by
Johan Lopez get turned away in the 75' and another look at the net sail high off the foot of Blair in the 85'. Time eventually ran out on Madison College.
The WolfPack finished with a 13-4 lead in total shots, including a 9-3 advantage in shots on goal. Fox, Blair, and
Hudson Nielsen all posted three total shots and two shots on goal to pace the offense. The assist for Fox is his fifth of the season, tying him for second on the team with three others.
Up Next:
Madison College (18-1-1) continues Pool D play at the
NJCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championships with a Monday, November 17 showdown against #4-seed and defending national champion Northeast Community College (14-4-1). Kickoff at SCHEELS Stryker Sports Complex is at 5:30 p.m. and can be seen live on the
NJCAA Network.
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