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Men's Soccer

Blais Of Glory: Golden Goal Gives Cougars 2-1 Win

Box Score

Worcester, Mass. – Sophomore Zack Blais (Tiverton, R.I.) used some fancy footwork and a little bit of luck to score the game-winning goal as host Clark University won a thrilling 2-1 double overtime decision over Colby-Sawyer College in non-league men's soccer action on Wednesday evening.

Less than two minutes into the second overtime, Blais dribbled along the backline on the left side of the goal with a defender draped on him, hugging the line while doing so. He eventually made his way close enough where he fired a close shot that banged off of a second defenders' leg and squirted past Charger netminder Nick Austin (Westerly, R.I.) for the decisive goal at 101:38.

The win for the Cougars improves their record to 3-2 in advance of Saturday's huge non-conference meeting at Brandeis. For Colby-Sawyer, meanwhile, they now slip to 1-2-1 with three more road games ahead of them before they return home to Kelsey Field.

Denali Sexton (Barrington, R.I.) actually put the Chargers ahead in the match's 12th minute when Alex Ortega (Milton, Vt.) served in an excellent ball into the box from the left side that a racing Sexton flicked home at 11:23.

Things stayed that way until late in the first half when Greg French (North Andover, Mass.) sent a ball from around 30 yards out on the left side that found a streaking Nate Biedak (Taunton, Mass.), who headed home his second goal of the season at 32:54.

Each team had several chances to escape with the win in regulation but neither could capitalize. Ortega had a great opportunity to put Colby-Sawyer ahead in the 70th minute when he found himself with space just inside the top of the box, but his attempt sailed over the crossbar.

Austin actually kept the Chargers in the contest as he made some spectacular stops including one on Tim Rovnak (Portland, Maine), who forced a ball away from a defender in the 60th minute and was one-on-one with Austin, but his shot that went right to left was deflected aside by the charging Austin.

Both Nicholas Mallozzi (Stamford, Conn.) and TJ Zirkman (Freehold, N.J.) had chances to put the Scarlet and White ahead in the second half but their attempts both sailed just over the crossbar.

Clark controlled play for large stretches of the contest, outshooting Colby-Sawyer 20-7 overall and held an 11-3 edge in shots on goal.

Austin made eight saves but took the tough luck loss, while freshman netminder Connor Maguire (Dunstable, Mass.) continues to impress in picking up the win for the Cougars.

Saturday's road game at Brandeis starts a stretch of four straight road matches where they will play the Judges, Gordon, WPI and Lasell.

Colby-Sawyer will be back in action on Sunday when they play a neutral site match against Newbury College at Proctor Academy.

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Players Mentioned

Nate Biedak

#11 Nate Biedak

MF
5' 8"
Sophomore
Zack Blais

#7 Zack Blais

F
5' 8"
Sophomore
Greg French

#20 Greg French

B
5' 10"
Freshman
Nicholas Mallozzi

#4 Nicholas Mallozzi

F
5' 7"
Junior
Connor Maguire

#30 Connor Maguire

GK
5' 9"
Freshman
Tim Rovnak

#5 Tim Rovnak

F
5' 7"
Sophomore
TJ Zirkman

#17 TJ Zirkman

MF
5' 6"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Nate Biedak

#11 Nate Biedak

5' 8"
Sophomore
MF
Zack Blais

#7 Zack Blais

5' 8"
Sophomore
F
Greg French

#20 Greg French

5' 10"
Freshman
B
Nicholas Mallozzi

#4 Nicholas Mallozzi

5' 7"
Junior
F
Connor Maguire

#30 Connor Maguire

5' 9"
Freshman
GK
Tim Rovnak

#5 Tim Rovnak

5' 7"
Sophomore
F
TJ Zirkman

#17 TJ Zirkman

5' 6"
Sophomore
MF