ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - Playing in their final home game of the season, Augustana College men's soccer (6-3-5, 2-2-3) hosted Carthage College (2-12-2, 0-7-1) on Saturday. Down by two with less than 15 minutes remaining, Augie stormed back to tie Carthage and secure their spot in the CCIW Tournament for the first time since 2010.
Inside the Box Score
How It Happened
First Half
The Firebirds were on the attack to start the match, scoring a pair of goals before seven minutes had even passed. A shot on goal from Jamie K'Otieno that Carthage's keeper stopped settled things down for Augustana as the teams engaged in a defensive battle. While numerous shots were had throughout the rest of the half, neither team could put their attempts on net, sending the game to halftime with Carthage on top, 2-0.
Second Half
Augustana came out in the second half and immediately challenged the Carthage defense, putting up three shots in the first eight minutes, two of which missed the cage and one that was saved. Banke then made a trio of saves at 58:17, 59:57, and 61:35 to keep Augie's deficit at just two.
While Augie kept the pressure on the Firebirds, they could not generate any shots on goal for the next 15 minutes. That is until a rocket of a shot from Donaghey stung the top right of the net to cut Carthage's advantage in half at 76:42. The Firebirds attempted to up their lead at 80:03, but Banke made the stop to keep the difference at one. Then, at 88:34, Dottin found the ball out of a scrum and put it in the back of the net to tie the game at 2-2.
The Vikings did put up one more shot in the closing seconds, but it sailed over the net to seal the 2-2 draw. However, with the draw, Augie has clinched their spot in the CCIW Men's Soccer Tournament. It will be their first appearance in the tournament since the 2010 season.
Up Next
The Vikings will look to improve their tournament seeding on Wednesday, Oct. 28, when they visit North Central at 7 p.m. for the regular season finale.
Follow the Vikings
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Augustana men's soccer by following the team on Twitter at @augieathletics, on Facebook at facebook.com/augiemsoccer/, and on Instagram at @augiemsoccer.
