Knights drop a tight one to NHTI
Vermont Tech 2, NHTI 3 (OT)
The Knights started the contest putting NHTI under an array of pressure and creating a lot of early opportunities to separate themselves early in the match but could not find the right amount of composure in the final third to take advantage of their early opportunities. In the 19th minute the Knights would finally find themselves on the end of a miss placed shot from freshman Connor Strom that lead Phillip Hepburn towards the back post where he collected the ball from Strom miscue and was able to slip it past NHTI goalkeeper Patrick Bolton. The Knights played with a 1-0 lead that they would maintain for the rest of the 1st half and take with them into halftime.
The Knights would give away their 1-0 lead just 4 minutes into the 2nd half when a miscue between Knight Goalkeeper Scott Durkee and center back David Mattern collided knocking the ball loose from Durkee's hands and slowly found its way across the goal line.
Twenty five minutes later Jacob Silverstein collected a bouncing ball that bounced through the Knights Center backs and allowed Silverstein a breakaway where he slipped it past the charging Durkee giving NHTI the 2-1 lead with 15 minutes left in the contest.
One minute later Ali Alazmanan would receive the ball from Phillip Hepburn at the top corner of the 18 yard box and quickly shot the ball toward the lower left corner of the goal which beat the diving goalkeeper Patrick Bolton of NHTI tying the match 2-2 with 14 minutes left in the game.
The game would head to Overtime as regulation ended with the scored tied at 2. Although the Knights dominated the 1st overtime period and had countless opportunities to end the game they could not find the back of the net against NHTI Patrick Bolton. In the 2nd overtime period it took just 4 minutes for NHTI to take advantage of a defensive break down by the Knights. Allowing Semir Sandzic to receive and uncontested ball at the top of the 18 and calmly bend it past Knight Goalkeeper Scott Durkee ending the game and giving NHTI the 3-2 victory. Scott Durkee had 9 saves on 12 shots in the loss against NHTI.
The heartbreaking loss for the Knights against conference opponent will hopefully fuel the Knights as they continue their week against more conference opponents as they head to Rutland on Wednesday Oct. 5th, 2016 to face College of St. Joseph's which the Knight beat earlier this season 3-2.
