Leon Garcia's Two-Goal Day Leads #15 Men's Soccer Past Post, 4-3, Sunday Afternoon
Links: Box Score | Julio Leon Garcia Interview
NORTH ANDOVER, MASS. – Senior captain Julio Leon Garcia (Caracas, Venezuela) tallied two goals including the game-winner with less than five minutes remaining to lead the No. 15 Merrimack College men's soccer team to a thrilling 4-3 victory on Sunday afternoon over Post University. The two squads combined to score six goals in the second half, including three in the final 15 minutes.
The Basics
Score: #15 Merrimack 4 | Post 3
Records: #15 Merrimack (2-0) | Post (1-1)
Location: Martone-Mejail Field | North Andover, Mass.
How It Happened
The second half began with the Eagles holding a 1-0 advantage as an eventful final 45 minutes unfolded beginning with a penalty kick in the 51st minute. Sophomore Juan Meza (Cali, Colombia) made a powerful run on the right side and was hauled down in the box resulting in a penalty kick for the Warriors. Junior captain Joseph Briers (Nottingham, England) made his season debut and pocketed the attempt to tie the game at 1-1.
Less than four minutes later, Meza was fouled again, this time at the top of the 18-yard box resulting in a free kick for the Navy and Gold. Leon Garcia stepped to ball and hit a powerful strike into the bottom-left netting to make it a 2-1 game and give Merrimack its first lead of the afternoon.
Post would not be deterred as 18 seconds later the Warriors committed a foul 30 yards away from their net, and Abdallah Bah shot the ball into the goal past sophomore goalkeeper Lucas Rezende (Weymouth, Mass.) to square the game again at 2-2.
Nearly 25 minutes would pass before the next goal was scored as the Warriors took their second lead of the half. A through ball intended for redshirt-freshman William Marcal (Worcester, Mass.) deflected off a defender and onto the foot of sophomore Michael Dushman (Bedford, Mass.) who hammered the shot into the net for the Warriors' third goal of the afternoon.
The Eagles responded again in the 84th minute as Jacob Butler-Bowdon tossed a long throw-in into the six-yard box where Anthony Asante slid towards it, tipping the ball into the open net for the third tie of the half at 3-3.
Less than two minutes later, the Navy and Gold scored what proved to be the game-winner. After a foul outside of the box, junior midfielder Oscar Zepeda Cagide (Jalisco, Mexico) curled a ball into the danger area that Leon Garcia used the back of his head to flick the ball into the top-right of the goal, giving Merrimack its third lead of the half and the 4-3 victory.
The contest started slowly for the both teams, as the squads battled through the heat at Martone-Mejail Field. The first shot came in the eighth minute as Marcal headed a ball towards goal, but Post goalkeeper Serigne Baba Gaye made a reactionary stop to keep the game scoreless.
The Warriors controlled possession over the first 15 minutes, totaling two shots and three corner kicks. In the 16th minute, the Eagles capitalized on their first shot as Armando Filho swung a corner kick into the box, which was deflected by Jacob Butler-Bowdon on to the foot of Tiago Martins who tapped it in to make it 1-0.
Senior forward Augusto Silva (Hudson, Mass.) was booked along with Post's Vinicius Lelis in the 21st minute with yellow cards. Over the remainder of the half, the Warriors outshot the Eagles 9-1, but could not find the back of the net. Babe Gaye totaled three saves, including an impressive stop on a shot from Douglas Searl (Westford, Mass.) in close on the keeper.
Inside The Numbers
- A wild second stanza: Within a three-minute span from the 51st-54th minutes, the squads combined for three goals on a penalty kick and two shots straight in on free kicks. After a 25-minute lull, Dushman's goal ushered in a span of three goals in seven minutes, including another successful set piece from the Warriors and a tally off a throw in for the Eagles
- Leon Garcia now leads the Warriors in both goals (2) and points (4) after the opening weekend. Merrimack's four goals are the most in a single game since the Warriors scored seven against American International last October
- Dushman would've had the game-winner if not for the Eagles' third goal. Last season as a rookie, three of his five goals were of the game-winning variety
- The Navy and Gold outshot Post by eight, 13-5, and attempted five more corner kicks than the visitors. In addition to Silva and Lelis, Meza for Merrimack and Stefan Tomasevic were booked for cards in the second half
Up Next
Merrimack will play in the University of Bridgeport Men's Soccer Classic beginning on Thursday with a contest against 11th-ranked LIU Post. The Warriors and Pioneers last met in the regional final of the NCAA Tournament, with the Pioneers besting the Warriors, 2-0.
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