Ruiz Maya Nets Overtime Winner as #19 Men's Soccer Prevails vs. Post University, 2-1
Links: Box Score | Josue Ruiz Maya Interview | Game Highlights
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The No. 19 Merrimack College men's soccer team needed four minutes of extra time on Saturday afternoon to defeat Post University, but redshirt-junior Josue Ruiz Maya (Madero, Mexico) netted the game-winning goal in the 94th minute, propelling the Warriors to a 2-0 start following this weekend's Merrimack Kickoff Classic.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 2, Post 1
Records: Merrimack (2-0) | Post (1-1)
Location: Martone-Mejail Field | North Andover, Mass.
How It Happened
- 19' – Sophomore goalkeeper Tyler Packett (Eastham, Mass.) made his first career start and defended his first chance superbly. The Eagles broke on a counterattack, turning it into a two-on-one, but Packett came off his line to cut off the cross and prevent a goal
- 23' – Senior Jaime Cortes Torres (Seville, Spain) scored for the second time in as many games. Junior Mattia Lanzi (Viterbo, Italy) delivered a set piece into the box, where Ruiz Maya headed his attempt off the cross bar. On the ensuing bounce, Cortes Torres struck his head to ball and scored
- 26' – In a span of two minutes, Packett made back-to-back saves including on a bicycle kick sent in by a member of the Eagles
- 29' – Cortes Torres was taken down in the box, resulting in a penalty kick for the Warriors. Joseph Briers (Nottingham, England) attempted the kick but rang it off the post
- 34' – Post got its own shot at a penalty five minutes later, and converted to tie the game at 1-1
- 45' – Freshman Aasmund Joedahl (Ridabu, Norway) broke in on the right side, but saw his shot saved by the Eagles' keeper, diving to his right to block the attempt away
- 53' – Packett made another lunging save, his fourth of the game to keep it scoreless. The Post goalkeeper answered one minute later, stopping Cortes Torres on the doorstep
- 94' – After action slowed for the latter part of the second half, Merrimack dominated the four minutes of overtime. Already having attempted two corners, Connor O'Brien (Sandwich, Mass.) tossed a long header into the box, which took a deflection to the foot of Ruiz Maya. The Mexican native hammered his shot into the back netting, for his second goal in as many games
Inside The Numbers
- After not scoring into his first two-plus seasons with the program, Ruiz Maya concludes the opening weekend tied for the team lead in goals (2)
- Ruiz Maya's assist on the first goal – it was his shot that deflected to Cortes Torres off the cross bar – gave the fourth-year player his first-ever multi-point game and the team lead for points (5)
- Packett played the final 13 minutes of the season opener, leading into the start on Saturday, and ended the day with his first-ever victory. He finished the afternoon with five saves
- Cortes Torres totaled a team-high six shots, two of which were on target.
- Saturday's win marks the third straight season that the Warriors have come out of the Merrimack Kickoff Classic undefeated
- Shots: MC 15 // POST 10
- SOG: MC 7 // POST 6
Up Next
The Warriors head down to Bridgeport, Conn. to play two matches at the Purple Knight Classic, beginning on Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. against No. 9 LIU Post.
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