Moon Township, Pa. – Despite a brace by Robert Morris University men's soccer senior midfielder Bayley Winkel, the Colonials fell to St. Bonaventure in double overtime, 3-2, this afternoon from the North Athletic Complex.
An enthusiastic North Athletic Complex crowd of 612 saw Winkel continue his torrid start to the season with goals in the seventh and 63rd minutes; however, St. Bonaventure (2-0-0, 0-0-0 A-10) scored in the 76th and 82nd minutes to force overtime, then netted the game-winner on a corner kick by Remi Dujardin in the 102nd minute.
Robert Morris (0-2-0, 0-0-0 NEC) struck on its first shot of the game, as Jake Cooper found Winkel with a diagonal through ball from midfield. That sparked a bevy of early chances for the Colonials as they earned a trio of corner kicks and saw two shots miss the target over a four-minute span.
The Bonnies then had their share of golden opportunities, but came up empty on each. Isaiah Wilson first fired a shot over the crossbar from 12 yards out in the 15th minute, then Winter Fondi made a pair of saves in the 21st minute to keep the score at 1-0. Kosi Nwafornso was stopped from 18 yards out and Nicola Bonso's rebound chance was saved at point blank range.
Winkel's second goal also came courtesy of a Cooper assist. Cooper ripped a cross from the right wing to the center of the box, placing it perfectly so that Winkel could finish with just one touch.
St. Bonaventure pulled within one in the 76th minute as Paul Afful corralled a center pass from Nwafornso and buried a shot from 20 yards out. The duo connected again for the equalizer as Afful's low corner went to the center of the box, where Nwafornso finished it with one touch to the far post.
The Bonnies' winner came shortly after the beginning of the second overtime as Dujardin ripped a corner kick that deflected off a defender from a tough angle.
Fondi made five saves in the defeat.
Robert Morris is back on the road on Thursday, Aug. 31 at 4:30 p.m. when it takes on Canisius.
