Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne men's soccer team withstood an inspired effort from Jefferson and earned a gutsy 2-1 win in extra time over the visiting Rams.

Redshirt freshman Jack Goodrich (Kelsall, England/King's School Chester) was an active participant in the Dolphins attack early on, pushing forward from the left back position and providing service from the left wing into the Jefferson penalty area.

Fifth year central defender Patrick Strauss (Lakewood, Ohio/St. Ignatius) made a crucial tackle in the ninth minute of the contest when he disrupted a two-on-one Jefferson break away scoring attempt.

Both teams created legitimate scoring chances throughout the first half. The Rams knocked on the door in the 10th minute when freshman Rob Arnason sent a threatening ball across the Le Moyne penalty box, which found the feet of junior Mohamed Jawara, who sent the ball sailing over the crossbar for a goal kick.

Soon after, the Dolphins created a chance of their own when senior Brandon Mimas (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker/UAlbany), attacking from the right wing, found graduate student Joe Falcone (Manlius, N.Y/Fayetteville-Manlius) standing within the Rams 18-yard box. Falcone then completed a dazzling pirouette around his defender and ripped a shot with his right foot that struck the crossbar and ricocheted back out into the field where it found the head of junior Owen Bauer (Baldwinsville, N.Y/C.W. Baker/UNC Asheville), whose shot attempt went wide of the net.

In the 39th minute, graduate student Robert Rohrhirsch (Garching bei München, Germany/Werner-Heisenberg-Gymnasium Garching/Munich University of Applied Sciences) created a scoring opportunity when he found graduate student Brett Stern (Lockport, N.Y./Newfane/Duquesne) inside the Rams 18-yard box, but the shot flew over the crossbar.

In the final 30 seconds of the first half, Le Moyne earned a corner kick off of a Falcone cross, but were unable to take the kick before the halftime buzzer sounded. Both teams went into their locker rooms with the score tied 0-0.

Jefferson broke the tie early on in the second half on a set piece goal. Graduate student Glenn Holmes took the Rams' free kick from about 35 yards away from the net, and after taking a bounce, the ball slid between Le Moyne goalkeeper Josh Mahr (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) and the near post into the back of the net to break the tie at the 49:07 mark and give the Rams a 1-0 lead.

However the Dolphins' deficit would be short lived. As soon as play resumed, redshirt junior Tom Henne (Hamburg, Germany/Gymnasium Buckhorn) found freshman Michael Sparkes (Glasgow, Scotland/St. Ninians) streaking down the right sideline. With a Jefferson defender in close pursuit, Sparkes crossed the ball high over the Rams defense, allowing Goodrich to fly in over his defender and forcefully head the ball across the face of the goal and into the back of the net to even the score at 1-1 just 38 seconds later.

In the 60th minute, Goodrich was involved in the Le Moyne attack once again, this time finding Bauer in the left side of the box. Bauer took a touch by his defender and was brought down before he could get a shot off, earning a penalty kick for the Dolphins. Henne stepped up to take the PK, looking to give Le Moyne the lead less than 15 minutes after they fell behind 1-0. To the chagrin of all Le Moyne fans in attendance, the Jefferson goalkeeper guessed correctly and made a tremendous save, knocking the ball into the air. Goodrich tried to salvage the opportunity by once again flying towards the goal and connecting on a header, but this time his shot sailed over the crossbar.

For a moment the Dolphins thought they had gained their first lead of the afternoon in the 65th minute when the Jefferson goalkeeper mishandled a cross from Henne that allowed Strauss to capitalize and knock the ball into the net. The goal was disallowed when the head referee consulted with the sideline official and determined that Strauss made illegal contact with the goalie, constituting a foul and keeping the score level at 1-1.

Le Moyne keeper Josh Mahr (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius) was steady all game for the Dolphins, collecting two saves in the second half and often coming off his line to intercept Jefferson crosses into the box.

In the 69th minute Rohrhirsch sprung a Le Moyne counter attack when he received the ball in the center of the field and turned around to find nothing but open space in front of him, darting up the center of the pitch into the Rams defensive third, eventually finding Bauer on the left side of the box with a through ball. Bauer's shot went just wide of the net.

The Dolphins created another great scoring opportunity with nine minutes remaining in the second half when Sparkes sent a pass to Bauer, who cut back to the middle of the field and ripped a shot on goal that was blocked by the keeper. Stern flew in for the rebound opportunity, but his one-time shot attempt was lifted over the crossbar for a goal kick.

The second half buzzer sounded with the score still even at 1-1, sending the match to extra time.

Less than two minutes into the first extra time period, Stern attacked the Rams defense with the ball at his feet, drawing a foul just outside the 18 yard box. As the Rams set up their wall and organized their defense, veteran midfielders Henne and Rohrhirsch stood over the ball, leaving the Le Moyne faithful and the Jefferson defense to wonder which one of the two maestros would be charged with taking the advantageous set piece.

Ultimately it was Rohrhirsch that stepped forward and made contact with the ball, sending a beauty of a free kick curling around the diving Jefferson goalkeeper to the near post and into the back of the net, ending the contest and giving Le Moyne a 2-1 victory.

The Dolphins improved to 2-0 on the season and will be back in action on Saturday, September 11th at Noon when they host Post University at Ted Grant Field.