Dayton, TN – It came down to the wire for the Patriots to grab the win in regulation as
Miguel Reis tallied his second goal of the season in the 87th minute of the match. The squad advances to 2-1-0 early on the season after the 2-0 shutout over the Bryan Lions on the road.
As overtime loomed in the minds of the coaches, Reis squashed the possibility of extra time with the game-winning goal late in the game. Coming off the bench at the 71-minute mark, the forward got to work and moved past the defenders and score unassisted.
An offside call ended Bryan's final push to get the equalizer with two minutes left. On the counterattack,
Sergio Infantes Castell reinforced the Patriots win with a headed goal, lifted by Marvin van der made. Having found the back of the net again, Cumberlands moved ahead 2-0 over the Lions.
The Patriots opened the second half by finding more chances than in the first, with eight of their 10 shots laced after halftime. Just over a minute into the half,
Nemanja Jovanovic tried his luck but lofted the shot high.
Luis Jara Encina notched the first of five Patriot shots on goal in the 53rd minute of the game but the ball was quickly scooped but by the opposing keeper. In the final five minutes of the match, the Patriots packed the box to tally two goals off four shots on goal.
Van der Made took the first shot of the day 15 minutes into the game, coming up blocked by the Lions defense. The veteran forward put back-to-back shots on goal late in the game, the second off a corner, but could not get past the keeper. Van der Made closed the game with one point from an assist on the final goal of the contest.
Akililu Zambataro tallied his second start of his UC career in goal, collecting three saves. The rookie keeper successfully held on with seven minutes left in regulation, notching two saves and defending back-to-back corners. With the win, Zambataro is now 1-1-0 on the year while claiming his first career shutout.
Seniors
Kelshall Alexander Jr. and
Nahshon Rullow led the backline to holding Bryan to 10 shots all game, only three of which on goal. Alexander and Rullow tallied a blocked shot apiece in effort to keep Bryan off the board.
Now halfway through their four-game road-swing, the Patriots have a quick break before marching to Barbourville, KY on Wednesday. Coach
Chris LeFevre and company will meet the Union Bulldogs at Williamson Field on September 4 at 7 PM.
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