Box Score RALEIGH, N.C. – Playing on the road in conference tournament play teams will take a win any way they can get one to stay alive, and the fourth seeded King University men's soccer team nearly pulled off an upset at fifth seed University of Mount Olive on Tuesday afternoon in the Conference Carolinas Tournament Quarterfinal. The Tornado and Trojans remained scoreless through regulation and pair of overtimes, sending the match to penalty kicks were Mount Olive advanced by the margin of 3-1.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Mount Olive 0, King 0 (2OT), Mount Olive advances on penalty kicks 3-1
LOCATION: CASL Field, Raleigh, N.C.
RECORDS: King 5-8-3, Mount Olive 8-8-1
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The contest was a defensive struggle as there was a combined total of five shots on goal in the game.
- Mount Olive placed two shots on goal in the first half, but King goalkeeper Kari Sveinsson turned both of them away.
- In the 25th minute, Kendale Liburd had King's best scoring chance of the first half, ripping a shot that was turned away by the Mount Olive keeper to keep the game scoreless.
- In the second half, Ryan Murphy had a chance to put the Tornado in lead in the 61st minute as he laced a shot that beat the keeper high, but it hit the crossbar and the game remained scoreless.
- Mount Olive countered with a heading in the 66th minute, but Sveinsson was up to the task to keep the tally even.
- King nearly took the win in the waning minutes as Liburd hit the crossbar with a header in the 90th minute, and Luis Calderon collected the reboound and took a shot, but it was turned away by Nick Bernsdorf, the Trojan keeper to send the game to overtime.
- The teams traded shots in the first overtime, with both sailing high as the game went to a second overtime.
- In the second extra session, Mount Olive registered three shots, but none were on target, ending the game in a tie and sending it to penalty kicks.
- Mount Olive shot first in penalty kicks, making their first attempt while King missed.
- The Trojans then made their second and turned away the second opportunity for King to take a 2-0 advantage.
- In the third round, Cameron Sauro came up with a save and Liburd connected on his attempt, cutting the King deficit to 2-1.
- However, Mount Olive scored on their next attempt and King missed, giving Mount Olive the 3-1 edge to advance.
FOR THE FOES
- Bernsdorf accounted for two saves to post the shutout for the Trojans.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The overtime contest gives the Tornado six overtime games on the year, matching their most since 2012 when they played six overtime games.
- The game was the final contest in the Tornado careers of seniors Liburd, Brian Butler and Shuler Hopkins.
