Last Second Goal Lifts Men's Soccer Over Siena Heights

Last Second Goal Lifts Men's Soccer Over Siena Heights
October 13, 2024

(Howell, MI)-- The Cleary Cougar men's soccer team needed late heroics, but were able to score twice in the final ten minutes to come from behind and defeat the visiting Siena Heights Saints Sunday evening, in a game being made up from Saturday evening.

The Saints would get on the board first, when a half clearance by the Cougars found the foot of Joey Spagnoli, who fired a shot on goal, but took a deflection off a Cleary player, and was able to get past goalie Austin Freemire in the 33rd minute of the first half.  Cleary would push forward, but were unable to equalize, and the game would remain 1-0 at the break.

In the second half, the rain started to come down, creating a fast, slick playing surface, that both teams struggled to get control of.  Still trailing in the 81st minute, Santino Savastano-Farr earned a corner kick for the Cougars, as the Saints played his cross out of play.  On the resulting corner kick, Marcel Zanchin delivered a perfect pass to find the head of Miguel Andriano Castillo, and Castillo did not miss, to tie the game at 1-1 with just over nine minutes to play.  Still tied 1-1 with just over ten seconds to play, a Saints goal kick was quickly turned into a counter-attack break for Cleary, as Adam Baldwin won the second ball, drove forward, and passed to his left to find an open Felix Arndt.  Arndt's shot would take a deflection off a Saints defended and into the back of the net, scoring the game-winning goal with one second remaining, and the Cougars would win 2-1.

Austin Freemire would make 4 saves on 5 shots faced to earn his fifth win of the season.  Cleary outshot the Saints 24-7, with an 8-5 advantage on shots on target.  Cleary also held a 6-1 advantage on corner kicks.

The win was a crucial one, and gives the Cougars a 7-6-1 overall record, 4-3-1 in the WHAC.  The Cougars will return to the road, and travel to Livonia on Wednesday, October 16, when they will play the Madonna University Crusaders.  The game will begin at 2:00 PM.