WORCESTER -- Senior captain
Eli Marden (Shelburne, VT) scored with 4:23 remaining in regulation to help WPI men's soccer battle back for a 2-2 draw with WestConn Tuesday afternoon at H. Carr Field at Alumni Stadium.
The Engineers move to 0-3-2 on the season, while the Wolves are now 3-1-3.
WPI grabbed an early lead when
Michael Montabana (Jamison, PA) converted in the fifth minute.
Adin Pezo (Everett, MA) sent a cross toward the middle of the box where it was backheeled by
Nikolas Previte (Andover, MA) to a cutting Montabana, who knocked it past the goalkeeper at exactly 5:00.
The final 5:24 before intermission was wild, with each team coming up empty on a penalty kick and the Wolves equalizing just before the half.
Juan Gomez Herrera (Brentwood, NY) hit the post on his attempt from the spot for WestConn at 39:36. Just 38 seconds later, WPI's
Anir AitDowd (Harvard, MA) saw his bid denied by Wolves netminder
Aime Ruggles (Bronx, NY).
Gomez Herrera atoned for the missed penalty by leveling the match with a header off a cross from
Jokin Martinez (Jamaica, NY), finding the net with 26 seconds remaining in the half.
The guests took their first lead of the afternoon in the 58th minute when
Nickolas Santana (New Haven, CT) finished a breakaway following a long through ball from Gomez Herrera.
WPI pressed for the equalizer and nearly found it several times. Montabana forced a pair of saves from Ruggles in the second half, while
Nathan Araujo (Holliston, MA) had a shot blocked and Previte put another attempt wide.
The breakthrough finally came in the 86th minute.
Cooper Biederbeck (Essex, VT) delivered a feed into the box, and Marden fired a low shot inside the right post for his first goal of the season, leveling the match at 2-2.
WestConn was reduced to 10 players shortly afterward after a red card in the 88th minute. The Crimson and Gray continued to push in the closing minutes, with Montabana forcing one final save from Ruggles just before the final whistle.
The Wolves finished with a 17-16 advantage in shots and held a 10-6 edge in attempts on target.
Savio Ketnouvong (Worcester, MA) made four saves for the Engineers, while Ruggles recorded eight stops for WestConn. WestConn earned nine of the match's 13 corners.
WPI begins conference play on Saturday, hosting MIT at 4:30pm in the NEWMAC opener for both squads. The Wolves have a quick turnaround, hosting Lehman (NY) tomorrow in Danbury at 7pm.
