Blackburn Slides Past Rockford With Late Heroics
Valencia (Pictured) Scores Game Winning Goal in OT
By: Vinnie Birk - Blackburn College Sports Information
A wild game filled with cards, fouls, and crazy goals ended in a victory for the Blacburn College Men's Soccer team. The Beavers outlasted the Rockford University Regents by a score of 3-2 in overtime.
Blackburn got on the scoreboard first when a Leandro Fonteles (Manaus, Brazil) worm burner escaped the hands of the Rockford goalkeeper and in the net. His second goal of the season was the only scoring in the first half.
The second half saw the Regents claw right back into the game and eventually with the lead. Rockford's Adam Seiter tied it up at one before Erik Manriquez hit a perfect free kick just under the crossbar to make it a 2-1 game.
Blackburn was searching for another late game goal and Sam Lomanto (Riverside, Cali.) did just that. Jonathon Velazquez (Bolingbrook, Ill.) placed a ball in the box that ricocheted off the head of Jake Pope (Waggoner, Ill.) right to Lomanto's head who deflected it into the back of the net. Velazquez had two assists in the game and now four on the year.
Amidst a total of 40 fouls and seven cards between the two teams, the game went to overtime. In the 96th minute, Blackburn's Austin Isringhausen (Jerseyville, Ill.) showed off his famous flip throw. The soaring ball landed right in the box and found the feet of senior Julian Valencia (Highland, Ill.) who then buried it for the game winner.
The Beavers had a total of fourteen shots while the Regents managed ten. Blackburn had the upper hand with five corner kicks.
The win puts Blackburn at 2-5 on the season and will now travel to Eureka College on Wednesday and play at 4:00 PM.