Washington, D.C. – An equalizer in the 86th minute allowed the Robert Morris University men's soccer team to secure a 2-2 draw at Howard University in non-conference action this afternoon.
Robert Morris (3-5-1, 0-0-0 NEC) came back from a pair of one-goal deficits and nearly had the winner in the first overtime off a Lucas Puntillo strike. Both teams had a multiple of chances, combining for 37 total shots and 23 attempts on goal.
Daniel Hart gave Howard (1-8-3, 0-0-0 Sun Belt) a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute after beating Winter Fondi to the far post. Six minutes later, Puntillo drew the Colonials even with a strike off a pass from Owen Pearce.
The Bison needed just four minutes to regain the lead when Issac Mbappe scored off a Lloyd Pierce free kick. Howard almost made it 3-1 a minute later, but Fondi was up to the task by stopping a Kyle Celestine attempt.
RMU ramped up the pressure in the second half, forcing Kenneth Hersey into five saves over the period's first 40 minutes. However, the stop on Bayley Winkel's attempt gave Curran Edland a juicy rebound and he cashed in to tie it at 2-2 with 4:58 remaining in regulation.
Puntillo gave the visitors their best chance for an overtime golden goal, ripping a shot in the 95th minute that was stopped by Hersey. Winkel gathered the rebound and had his crack at a winner, but the attempt flew wide of the netting.
Fondi was tested on numerous occasions in the second overtime, providing a pair of saves to keep it at a 2-2 deadlock. Andres Gomez was denied at a chance of glory both times as his two attempts came within a minute of each other.
Fondi made nine saves in between the sticks, while Hersey stopped 10 shots for the hosts. Winkel generated a game-high five shots and tied Puntillo for the team lead with three attempts on net.
Robert Morris begins Northeast Conference (NEC) play on Friday, Oct. 7 at Fairleigh Dickinson.
