Box Score SWARTHMORE, Pa. – The Ursinus College men's soccer team took regionally ranked Swarthmore to double-overtime on the road, but the Garnet sent the Bears home empty-handed with a golden goal with just under two minutes remaining in a 2-1 Centennial Conference marathon.
Senior Stephen Meixner scored his first career goal for Ursinus (3-6, 0-4), drawing the visitors even in the 81st minute when he cleaned up a loose ball in the box. But Swarthmore (6-4, 2-2), which came in ranked 10th in the Mid-Atlantic Region by the NSCAA, stole victory on the boot of Michael Nafzinger, who turned around and slotted a perfectly placed shot into the lower left corner of the net at 108:05.
The Bears were outshot 28-13 and put only three attempts on frame, but still managed to take this one to overtime thanks to Meixner's late heroics. Sophomore Justin Molyneaux's corner kick deflected off classmate Ben Amaral and came to rest right in front of the goal – and right at the feet of Meixner, who easily tapped in for the first points of his collegiate career. The assist was also the first for Molyneaux.
Ryan Meuth had given the Garnet a 1-0 lead with a penalty kick in the 61st minute, and he might have finished off the Bears in regulation if not for a brilliant defensive play by freshman Colin Klingman, who stepped in front to deflect Meuth's shot high after a loose ball had landed right at his feet.
Swarthmore almost won it in the final seconds of the first overtime, but Maiorino rose up to palm a blast by Omri Gal over the bar.
With a steady rain falling, Amaral was tripped up in the box on a run down the left side early in the second extra session, but there was no call, and Nafzinger's clinical finish gave Swarthmore the result.
Senior Ryan Molyneaux almost scored on a free kick just outside the box in the 64th minute, but Garnet keeper Michael Thut did well to punch it over the bar for a corner.
Maiorino made nine saves for the Bears, who got three shots from Justin Molyneaux and two apiece by Ryan Molyneaux, fellow seniors Justin Mendez and Noah Kimelheim, and sophomore Derek Rudy.
The Bears look to snap a three-game skid at Wilkes on Wednesday, October 5.
