ANGOLA, IND. -- Trailing 2-0 in the second half, the Trine University men's soccer team tallied back-to-back goals that led to a 2-2 tie against Olivet (Mich.) College in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association matchup at Weaver Soccer Field in Angola, Ind.
Trine (5-3-5, 3-3-4 MIAA) took 10 shots in the first 45 minutes with two of those shots being on net, but the only goal of the period came at the 35:58 minute mark on a header attempt by Olivet (1-10-4, 0-6-4 MIAA) that gave the Comets a 1-0 lead at halftime.
Olivet scored a second goal early in the second period during the 51st minute on a penalty kick to go up, 2-0. Looking to rally, the Thunder answered with a goal at the 53:46 mark by senior Mason Pelphrey (Portsmouth, Ohio/Clay) to make the score 2-1. The goal was Pelphrey's team-leading seventh of the season and was assisted by junior J.T. Plavchak (Goshen, Ind./Goshen).
Within the final minute of regulation, Trine netted the equalizer with just over 30 seconds to go when freshman Jonathan Slone (Troy, Ohio/Troy Christian) scored on a header that was set up by freshman Tristen Ortiz (Wayland, Mich./Wayland) to even the game at 2-2 and force overtime.
In the first overtime, both squads recorded a shot, but both attempts sailed wide of their marks keeping the game knotted at 2-2 resulting in a second overtime.
In the final 10 minutes, Trine put one of its two shots on net which came off the foot of senior Bill Wilson (Mason, Mich./Mason), but the attempt ended in a Olivet save. The Thunder defense held the Comets shotless in the period as the game would end in a 2-2 stalemate.
Freshman Connor Werschem (Muskegon, Mich./Fruitport) started the game and played the first half, allowing a goal and making two saves. Sophomore Quinn O'Brien (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) saw his first action since being injured and played the final 65 minutes. He allowed just the lone goal in his time in net.
Trine will play three of its final four games of the regular season on the road, beginning with a MIAA contest against Kalamazoo (Mich.) College on Tuesday, Oct. 17 in Kalamazoo, Mich. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
