Men's Soccer Defeats Rider in Exciting Overtime Win

Wednesday, September 5

Lawrenceville, N.J.

7:00 P.M.

Temple University

2-2-0

Rider

0-2-1

OT 2

Temple

Rider

Men's Soccer Defeats Rider in Exciting Overtime Win

9.5.18 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – Freshman midfielder Jalen Campbell netted a crucial overtime goal in the 94th minute of play, finalizing the game and giving Temple (2-2) a 1-0 victory over the Rider Broncs (0-2-1) on the road on Wednesday night.

How It Happened
> Rider applied pressure early in the match, taking two shots and two corner kicks between the fourth and sixth minute of play. Only three minutes later, the Broncs took another pair of corners, but Temple's back line made critical stops to deny the opportunities.
> Temple took their first shot of the match in the 14th minute, shutting down Riders' momentum and evening possession on the pitch. Not long after, the Owls nearly finished a strong opportunity when senior captain Hermann Doerner headed a cross just high.
> The Owls battled relentlessly in the defensive third despite the brutal heat, working as a unit to shut down each opportunity the Broncs' created. In the first half, the Broncs had an 8-2 edge in shots over the Owls, but each team only shot once in the second 45 minutes of play.
> In the 94th minute, junior Leandros Lillis combined with senior Belal Mohamed who quickly distributed a cross to the near post. Campbell read the play, strategically timing his near-post run to be in the perfect position to bury the golden goal opportunity.

The 94th Minute
> Ironically, an overtime goal in the 94th minute is no stranger to these teams. When the two squads faced in 2017, the Broncs came out on top by scoring the lone goal of the game in the 94th minute of play, shutting out the Owls 1-0. This time, Temple was victorious.

Game Notes
> Junior goalkeeper Simon Lefebvre secured his first win in net for the Owls, logging three saves and posting his first shutout of the season.
> For the second time in as many games, two Owls notched a rare double assist, rewarded for the team-oriented build up to each goal. Last match, Andres Charles-Barrera and Pierre Cayet shared the points as Charles-Barrera sent the ball across the net and Cayet centered the ball to find the head of Zach Brown. Similarly this match, three Temple athletes were directly involved in the overtime goal.
> Tonight's match adds three new Owls to the scoresheet, as Mohomed, Campbell and Lillis each tallied their first points of the season.

From the Coach
> "After a challenging road-game stretch, we are certainly pleased with the performance put on today by the team," said head coach Brian Rowland. "I think we showed some fatigue at times in the first half, but I am extremely proud of the way we fought tonight. For the majority of the game, we were in control of the things we discuss, such as possession and creating opportunities, which shapes us into the team we strive to be."
> Rowland spoke on how the team was able to show resilience, fighting until the very end despite the brutal heat and road game conditions. "It showed extreme grit and mental toughness for these guys to continue to compete and trust our game plan. We were secure in the back line, and they proved to hold focus, as it was a great play by Leandros and Belal with a wonderful finish by Jalen. I am really proud of the efforts the guys showed in a very difficult situation against a talented team on the road."

Up Next
> The Owls look to extend their win-streak as they host their home opener this Saturday, September 8th welcoming the St. John's Red Storm. Kickoff is set for 7:00 pm at the Temple Sports Complex, and admission is free for all who attend.