Mastodons Fall in Final Seconds at Eastern Illinois

Saturday, October 27

Charleston, Ill.

3 p.m.

Purdue Fort Wayne

3-13-1 (2-3-1SL)

Eastern Illinois

3-12 (1-5SL)

OT 2

IPFW

Eastern Illinois

Photo by: Lucas Carter

Mastodons Fall in Final Seconds at Eastern Illinois

10/27/2012 5:45:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

BOX SCORE (.pdf) | BOX SCORE

CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois' Jake Plant put in a shot with one second remaining on the clock, as the Panthers edged out the IPFW Mastodons 3-2 late in the first overtime period.

The loss drops IPFW to 3-13-1 on the season, and 2-3-1 in Summit League play, and drops one point behind Western Illinois for the fourth and final playoff spot for the 2012 Summit League Championships.

The Mastodons struck first quickly - less than a minute into the game when Austin West took a free kick, and the kick deflected off of the wall, and into the back of the net for the freshman's second goal of the season, both off of free kick opportunities.

The Panthers countered 12 minutes later when Tayron Martin put a shot into the back of the net, knotting the score at one goal apiece.

With as offensive as the first 13-plus minutes, the last 30 minutes were defensive as neither team would be able to find the back of the net, despite nine combined shots in the half.

Kyle Ackerman gave IPFW the lead for the second time in the game when he scored his first goal of the season just over ten minutes into the second half.

Playing without senior starter Mitch Falkenstern, who had picked up a red card in the team's last game - a win over Oakland - the Mastodons found themselves down a man in the game when senior Brent Helton picked up a red card with just over 30 minutes to play in the game.

A man up, Eastern Illinois took advantage in just eight minutes when Plant used a pass from Martin to knot the score at two goals apiece.

IPFW found itself in further difficulties when with six minutes left in regulation, Jackson Tooke picked up his second yellow card of the match, putting the Mastodons two men down to play through the rest of regulation. In the final five minutes, the Panthers got two shots off, missing wide with the first and the second was blocked, as the teams played through the 90-minute regulation knotted at two.

The Mastodons staved off a number of Panther goal attempts, however, the defense could not hold on for the full 10-minute overtime period, as Plant scored his second goal of the match with one second remaining on the clock off of a throw-in from Jake Irwin, giving the hosts the 3-2 win.

Eastern Illinois out-shot the Mastodons 23-to-17 in the game, while Brandon Cloutier, who is ranked 11th in the country in total saves, added eight.

The Mastodons return to action on Tuesday, October 30 when the squad plays host to the Valparaiso Crusaders in the team's final non-conference contest of the season.

~ Feel the Rumble ~