Lyon Uses Last-Second Strike to Stun John Brown
BATESVILLE, Ark. (September 19, 2015) -- Lyon’s Ignacio Milla scored the match’s lone goal with just over three seconds left, and the John Brown men’s soccer team (2-4-1) suffered a difficult 1-0 double-overtime loss on Saturday (Sept. 19) afternoon at J. Marshall Huser Field.
Just a few minutes prior to the sudden-death blow, junior Marco Cardona was setup inside the box by sophomore Collin Smith. Smith zipped a pass from the right side to Cardona on the left, who one-touched a strike on goal, but Lyon keeper Logan Miller made a sprawling save in the 106th-minute flurry.
With just over seven seconds left to play, the Scots (7-0-0) earned a free kick just inside JBU’s half off a quick transition from a Golden Eagle corner kick that sailed out of bounds. Jonathan Ray’s free kick from the right flank sailed into the Golden Eagle box and with 3.7 ticks left in the 110-minute marathon, Milla’s flick from six yards out found the bottom left corner, just squeezing inside the post for the dramatic finish.
”Lyon’s keeper was very impressive,” said head coach Scott Marksberry. “He was the biggest difference in the game. The fatigue caught up with us today. Hopefully we can get our legs back and four or five more guys back on the field before Tuesday.”
The Golden Eagles were without the services of three starters, including sophomore Douglas Oliveira and freshmen Santiago Venegas and Conner Haney due to injury.
Both Lyon and John Brown had opportunities to win the game in regulation and the first overtime, but outstanding play in goal from Miller and sophomore Adam Holt kept the game scoreless for the first 109 minutes. Miller (6-0-0) finished the contest with four saves, earning his sixth win of the season and fifth shutout of 2015. Holt collected seven saves in the loss, falling to 2-4-1 on the season.
The host Scots out-shot John Brown 5-2 in the first half and 10-7 after regulation. JBU earned a 2-1 shooting advantage in the first overtime stanza until Lyon tallied three, including the game-winner, to the visitors' two attempts in the final extra time session.
Cardona paced JBU with three shots, two on goal, while freshmen Ryan Williams and Giovani Bejarano each added a pair and one on target. Ray and Estiven Ramirez-Garcia each totaled three shot attempts in the victory for the Scots.
With the loss, John Brown has now suffered through four clean sheets this season. Additionally, playing away from Alumni Field has been difficult as JBU now holds an 0-4-0 mark as the away team.
The Golden Eagles will look to rebound on Tuesday (Sept. 22) when it travels to Bartlesville, Okla., to face No. 20 Oklahoma Wesleyan in a 7:30 p.m. showdown. JBU earned a 1-0 win over the Eagles last year after OKWU tallied a 5-2 in Bartlesville in 2013.
