Box Score FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Mahmoud Kafel (Fairfield, Conn.) scored in the 88th minute to force overtime against the Bryant Bulldogs Saturday afternoon, and a stalwart Sacred Heart defense got the Pioneers to a 1-1 double-overtime draw. The tie gives the Pioneers their first conference point of the season.
Bryant (6-4-2, 2-0-1 NEC) controlled possession early, firing five shots in the first 14 minutes. Of those five, only one was on goal as Tucker Hackett (Madison, Conn.) stopped a Brett Larocque header in the seventh minute. Ezra Siyadhuba (Bulawayo, Zimbabwe) had Sacred Heart's first two shots of the game, putting both wide in the eighth and 14th minutes respectively. Bryant kept attacking, forcing Hackett to make saves on shots by Larocque and Curtis Orth. The Bulldogs broke through in the 39th minute. Substitute Ryan Rose found the rebound of a Tony Flaim shot right at his feet inside the 18-yard box and knocked home the loose ball to give Bryant a 1-0 lead. The Pioneers had a chance to tie the game in the 44th minute, but Callum Smith's (London, England) header off of a free kick went just wide of goal.
Sacred Heart (0-11-2, 0-2-1 NEC) had two shots on goal in the first 25 minutes of the half, but attempts by Chris Carneiro (Stratford, Conn.) and Artur Jorge (Shelton, Conn.) were stopped by Bryant goalkeeper Chris Knaub. In the 76th minute, Kafel got loose behind the Bryant defense but Knaub was there to make the save on his shot. Knaub also made a save on an Ermir Celaj (Brookfield, Conn.) header in the 86th minute. The Pioneers kept putting on the pressure, leading to the equalizer in the 88th minute. Dylan Santos (Rahway, N.J.) finished off a run into the Bryant third by getting the ball to Kafel. His initial shot was saved, but Kafel got his own rebound and guided the ball into an open net to make the score 1-1 heading into overtime.
Bryant had two shots in the first overtime, both of which were on goal. Connor Norat had a header saved in the 98th minute, as Chris McCormick had his chance at a game-winner punched away by Hackett in the final minute of the period. Sacred Heart had one shot in the first overtime, with Celaj pushing a header wide in the 99th minute. The Pioneers had two shots on goal in the second overtime. Shaquille Saunchez (Kingston, Jamaica) had a shot from distance go right to Knaub in the 105th minute. Kafel had a shot to win it with 0:17 remaining but Knaub made the save to preserver the 1-1 tie.
The Bulldogs narrowly outshot Sacred Heart 19-18, but the Pioneers had 10 shots on goal the Bryant's eight. Hackett made seven saves for Sacred Heart as Knaub stopped nine shots for Bryant.
Sacred Heart is back at Campus Field on Friday, Oct. 24 for a 4:30 p.m. matchup with Saint Francis U.
