In a game that saw tremendous defensive and goaltending efforts, the USM men’s soccer team drew a 0-0 overtime tie against Colby College at Memorial Field on the campus of Deering High School on Wednesday night.
The Huskies came out strong in the first half. They put pressure on the Mules from the kickoff and created a few close opportunities.
In the fifth minute, the Huskies were presented with a scoring opportunity in front of the Colby net that almost resulted in a goal, but it slipped out of their grasp and they were not able to finish. Colby controlled the possession for the majority of the first half as they had several scoring opportunities, but were denied by USM senior goalie David Kreps who had six saves on the Mules 11 shots on goal.
The second half started just as the first did; the Huskies came out very aggressive and kept consistent pressure on the Colby defense. The Huskies earned several corners and free kicks, but were unable to put any balls on net.
USM created several breakaway opportunities that came close to turning into goals; in one such opportunity, a ball was tipped over the goalie’s head, and a Mule defender was forced to make a last ditch effort and clear the ball.
Both teams saw chances to score as overtime began, but could not get anything going as play ttransitioned from one end to the other in a back-and-forth type of match. USM goaltender David Kreps was sent scrambling for the ball a few times as he made tremendous saves on two shots from Colby sophomore Andrew Meisel, and Colby defensemen continued making diving efforts to stop the Huskies’ attacks, including a shot from USM senior Nick Johnson (South Portland).
Adrenaline was clearly pumping for both teams, as physical contact increased throughout the remaining time in the extra period. Several Huskies were injured and left the field. Both teams came very close to ending the game with an overtime goal, but all efforts missed the mark.
USM fans began to get a little rowdy as they were surrounding the Colby net, and were forced to leave the area by the referees.
The tie came after the Husky’s recent win over Plymouth State University. The Huskies beat Plymouth 3-0, a key win to help USM’s standing in the Little East Conference.
Senior keeper David Kreps was instrumental in the game as he made nine saves on Plymouth State’s 20 shots. Kreps was recently named the LEC Goalkeeper of the Week, largely for his part in the game against Plymouth State. Kreps made 17 saves in his week of nomination. This is Kreps’s fifth time receiving the award in his career.
The Huskies’ next game is coming up on Tuesday, Oct. 5 at 4 p.m. at Bates College, and then on Saturday, Oct. 9 when they will travel to Eastern Connecticut State University for an important LEC game. The matchup against Eastern will be an opportunity for the Huskies to improve on their 2-0 conference record.