ANDERSON, S.C. - After finding a late game-winner on Wednesday, Anderson University men's soccer found itself on the opposite end of a late game-winner as the Trojans dropped a double overtime decision to Lenoir-Rhyne, 2-1, in South Atlantic Conference action Friday afternoon at Trojan Stadium.
With the setback, AU drops its second double-overtime match at home this season and stumbles to a 5-6 overall record with a 4-3 mark in conference play. The Bears, who earn their first victory over Anderson since the teams became conference members in 2010, jump to 4-6-2 overall and 4-3 in the SAC.
After a back-and-forth first half that looked to finish goalless, LR substitute Ben Meredith found himself at the right spot at the right time as a long free kick was played into the Anderson box. The ball found LR forward DeJean Charlton's head and he flicked it to teammate Ben Jones. Jones used his header to find Meredith who headed the ball past AU goalkeeper Bo Haug for the match's first goal in the 43rd minute.
Anderson earned its equalizer in the 64th minute of action when defender Alex Delpy played a free kick into the LR box. From there, attacker Magnus Larsen used his height and found himself unmarked and headed a shot into the back of the net. For Larsen, the goal was his fourth of the season as he holds sole possession of the team-lead on the year.
Despite four shots in the final 22 minutes by the Trojans, the home side could not find a game-winner. With both teams unable to score, the match marked the second overtime contest this season for Anderson.
After a scoreless opening overtime period, Lenoir-Rhyne sealed the victory in the 103rd minute when Meredith found space in the AU box and push a shot past Haug for his second tally of the day. Jones, who assisted on the first goal, grabbed his second assist of the afternoon as he made a long run down the left side and sent the cross into the box for the score. For Meredith, the goal was his fourth of the year.
After outshooting the visitors 9-2 in the second half, Anderson failed to post a shot in both overtime periods, as LR totaled three in the final 12 minutes, headlined by the golden goal. Despite the Bears totaling three shots after regulation, AU won the shot battle, 12-9.
Larsen and fellow midfielder Brad Du Plooy led the AU offense with three shots for the match, while the trio of Andre Carle, Aaron Roberson and Lars Zimmerman each tallied two shots on the day. Defensively, Haug posted three saves, as he has yet to surpass four saves for a match this season.
Anderson remains home on Tuesday when it hosts Conference Carolinas opponent Mount Olive. Kickoff from Trojan Stadium is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
