Bulldogs remain unbeaten in NEC, top LIU 2-1 in OT Friday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – For the sixth time this season it took overtime to determine a victory, but the Bryant University men's soccer team defeated LIU Brooklyn, 2-1, in OT to remain unbeaten in Northeast Conference play, Friday afternoon at Bulldog Soccer Field.

Just over five minutes into the extra period, junior forward Brett Larocque (Ottawa, Ont.) crossed a ball across the 18-yard box, from left to right, to the feet of senior midfielder Lucas Guerriero (Pickering, Ont.). Guerriero corralled the cross and laid a pass perfectly to the feet of classmate Connor Norat (Wilmington, Del.) inside the box for the senior's second marker of the season, and more importantly the game-winner for the Bulldogs (7-4-2, 3-0-1 Northeast Conference).

Bryant, who remains undefeated in NEC play, has not lost since Sept. 14, increasing their unbeaten streak to seven games (5-0-2), while the Blackbirds (3-10, 2-2 NEC) drop their second-straight match after starting conference play, 2-0.

After nearly 45 minutes of scoreless play in the first half, the Black and Gold took advantage of a late opportunity with time ticking down. Junior Kevin Tejada (Clifton, N.J.) fed Thomas Binder (Vienna, Austria) inside the Bryant attacking third and the freshman did the rest, firing a shot from just outside the box off the outstretched hand of LIU keeper Logan Keys and into the back of the net with less than a second left on the clock for the 1-0 lead.

However, the Blackbirds responded in the 76th minute, when Dennis Amvrosiatos collected a ball off the head of a Bryant defender just across the LIU side of midfield and advanced the ball toward the goal, letting go a laser into the corner of the net to knot the score, 1-1.

Taking the 1-1 tie into overtime, the Bulldogs capitalized on the one and only shot of OT, with Larocque, Guerriero and Norat connecting in the 96th minute to keep Bryant in contention for the number one seed in the upcoming NEC Tournament.

With just three matches remaining on the schedule, Bryant will host St. Francis Brooklyn on Sunday (1 p.m.) for Senior Day, before wrapping up the regular season at FDU on Nov. 2 and at Central Connecticut on Nov. 9.