2011 Highlights

Panthers Hang On for Tie

Dryden—Playing shorthanded most of the second half and overtime, the Tompkins Cortland Community College men's soccer team held on to tie Cayuga Community College 2-2 Thursday. The Panthers are now 7-1-1 overall and 2-0-1 in the Mid-State Athletic Conference while Cayuga is 4-2-2 overall and 2-1-2 in the MSAC.
 
The contest was very physical from the start, with each team picking up yellow cards early. TC3 put together the first scoring play in the 24th minute. Roberto Silva (New Rochelle H.S./New Rochelle) played a free kick from near midfield down towards the box, where Josh Piger (Dryden H.S./Dryden) collected the ball and scored. The second goal came four minutes later, and was scored under bizarre circumstances. After TC3 earned a corner kick, it appeared as though Cayuga thought play had been stopped and the entire team went toward the sideline. With the clock still running, TC3's Samir Naamane (Casablanca, Morocco) put the ball into play and Martin Rodriguez (Hendrich Hudson H.S./Argentina) tapped it into the unguarded net. The goal counted and the score remained 2-0 the rest of the half.
 
In the second half, though, it didn't take long for the yellow cards to catch up with the home team. Two minutes into the second half, a TC3 player picked up his second yellow and was ejected, leaving the Panthers to play 10 vs. 11. The defense held strong for thirty minutes, but with 12:17 left in the game, another TC3 player picked up a second yellow, leaving TC3 to play 9 vs. 11. Cayuga capitalized, with Nahayo Manasse scoring with 10:24 left and Muke Heri tying the game with 6:50 left. After a Cayuga player picked up his second yellow in the closing minutes of regulation, it left the teams to finish playing 9 vs. 10. Despite some good chances for TC3 in overtime, neither team could find the net again before darkness ended the game after the first extra period.
 
Brian Wagstaff (Chenango Valley H.S./Apalachin) had six saves in goal.
 
The Panthers are off until Wednesday when they host Finger Lakes Community College.

Samir Naamane