Men’s Soccer Drops Season Opener in Double OT

BROCKTON, Mass. ---- Brockton native Esteven Gomes scored the game's equalizer with 21 seconds left, but the Massasoit men's soccer team eventually fell in double overtime, 3-2, vs CCBC Cantonsville in a heart-fought season opener at Warrior Field.

Massasoit trailed 2-1 with under a minute to go when the visiting Cardinals were whistled for a foul. Sophomore Edmar Goncalves (Brockton) launched the deep free kick into the box, where Gomes was there to head it home in thrilling fashion to send the game to overtime.

After a stalemate of a first overtime period, it was the Cardinals that would prevail in the second extra session. In the 105^th minute of action, Cantonsville crossed a ball into the box that inadvertently deflected off a Massasoit player for the golden goal to the end the contest.

The Cardinals scored the first goal of the game on a penalty kick in the first half in the 34^th minute.

Trailing 1-0, Massasoit had plenty of free kick opportunities midway through the second half. In fact, the Warriors attempted five free kicks inside Cantonsville's defensive half over a five-minute span. On the fifth free attempt, Maldini Da Fonseca (Brockton) rocketed a shot that was deflected back off the Cardinal defensive line. Defender Carlens Jean (Brockton) then crossed the ball back into the box, where Leonardo Teixeira (Brockton) was there to tap it in to even the score.

Later in the second half, David Isaac (Brockton) made impressive back-to-back saves in the 75^th minute on two Cardinal shots inside the box to keep the score tied.

Massasoit outshot Cantonsville 26-17 on the afternoon, with 12 shots coming on frame.

Keeper David Isaac finished with seven saves in net.

The Warriors are off until next weekend, when they travel to Mercer County CC in New Jersey.