ROCKLIN, Calif. – The Warrior men were coming off two close losses and UC Merced brought with them a three-game winning streak, including a win at Hope International. Despite windy conditions, Jessup stayed level with Merced through two overtimes, concluding the game with a score of 2-2.
UC Merced started the action in the 16th minute when a Jessup defender went down hard after a collision in front of goal, the Bobcats' David Esparza found himself with an easy tap in to take a 1-0 lead.
The Warriors answered back swiftly. In the 19th minute, Conner Entz (Auburn, CA) fired a shot towards the goal, but a Bobcat defender stepped in front of it to deflect it away. The deflection found the waiting foot of Mitchell Pingree (Newcastle, CA) who placed it into the lower left corner to even things up.
The action pressed on and spectators needed only watch two additional minutes of play before Merced scored again with a curving shot to the right side of the goal. Merced would take the 2-1 lead into the locker room at the half.
The second set of 45 minutes belonged to the Warriors. Alexander Thompson sent a beautiful cross to the far post where teammate Justin Mitchell was waiting to send a header on goal, but the keeper was able to get a solid deflection. The Warriors put a second shot on goal only minutes later from a gorgeous curving corner kick by Jacob Rodriguez but again the keeper found himself in the right position.
After a myriad of minutes spent inside the box on Merced's end, Jessup got their break when the goalie slammed into junior Justin Soria (Rocklin, CA) but missed the ball giving Jessup a penalty kick. In front of a hushed crowd, Soria buried the opportunity into the far reaches of the upper right corner again leveling the game.
Jessup goalkeeper Zachary Kammerer would go on to make two giant saves before the second overtime ended play and both teams left the field even.
"I think it's a victory for us, it's a big morale booster, were coming off of two tough losses," commented Jessup's head coach Robbie Handy. "Merced just knocked off a couple good teams and twice today we overcame deficits showing a lot of fight, that's something we haven't done in the recent past, that is going to be big for us later in the season, it doesn't matter how many we go down we can fight back, we are capable."
The Warriors will have a week to recuperate before they head to the highway taking on Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village on Saturday, September 19, at 12 PM. The Warriors return home on September 23 playing host to Bethesda University at 4:00 PM.
***
William Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on William Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: William Jessup University Athletics (Facebook), @JessupAthletics (Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat)
