MSOC Comes Up Clutch in PK’s to Advance to District Finals

WEST WINDSOR TOWNSHIP, New Jersey ---- The Massasoit men's soccer team survived the Northeast Subdistrict Championship against Mercer County, knocking off the Vikings in penalty kicks to keep the 2021 season alive for the Warriors on Sunday afternoon.

Massasoit (10-2-2) advances to play at Muskegon Community College (Michigan) in the NJCAA Division II Northeast District Finals on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 12 PM. The winner punches its ticket to the NJCAA Championship, held in Wichita, Kansas.

In the 88^th minute and trailing 2-1, Leonardo Teixeira (Brockton) was taken down in the box by a Viking defender. The Warriors called on sweeper Jhonny Zamor and the freshman delivered, burying the PK which sent the game to overtime.

Massasoit had chances in both overtime periods, as Mercer played down a man, as they had from the 65^th minute on due a red card. Unfortunately, the Warriors could not cash in as the game went to penalty kicks.

In PK action, sophomore keeper Carlos Neto stopped the Vikings first attempt to swing momentum in favor of the Warriors. Mercer's third PK attempt sailed high over the crossbar as Massasoit took advantage and made four of five attempts to advance to the district finals next weekend.

Massasoit led early on in Sunday's seesaw scoring contest, when Teixeira headed home a cross from Henry Mathieu (Brockton) in just the 11^th minute of action.

Mercer knotted the match up at 1-1, on a goal from Zouma Konate off a rebound in the 31^st minute. The game went to the half tied.

Five minutes into the second stanza, Mercer's Samuel Destine took a through ball pass and scored to put the Vikings up, 2-1. The game looked to be in Mercer's hands, until Zamor's penalty kick with just two minutes left in regulation to send the game to overtime.

Massasoit's Carlos Neto made six saves in net for the Warriors.