NEWTON, Mass. – Mount Ida took an early lead in their non-conference men's soccer match against Clark University on Wednesday night, but for the second time in as many games, conceded in the final ten minutes of play, and suffered a 2-1 loss at Alumni Field.
Michael Templeton (Charlestown, N.H.) scored the opening goal of the game, putting Mount Ida (6-5) in front in the 17th minute in a game that featured 38 combined shots, and a pair of penalty kicks, one apiece saved by each keeper.
Cougars forward Oscar Zapata (Lima, Peru) nestled home the game winning goal with just over six minutes to play in regulation, when it looked like the teams might be headed to an extra period. He found space on the breakaway and finished his team-high fourth tally on a feed from senior Maxwell Lopez (Oakdale, N.Y.).
Clark (5-7-1) had evened the game in the 36th minute when Ethan Ziemba (Glen Gardner, N.J.) slammed home his first collegiate goal off a corner kick taken by fellow first year Greg French (North Andover, Mass.).
That score came just seconds after Mount Ida goalie Mat Pils (Monroe, Conn.) had stymied French on a penalty kick attempt after a hand-ball in the box by the Mustangs. Pils, who made four saves in the game, dove to stop French's effort and the ball rolled out of bounds for the ensuing corner which led to the goal.
Pils's counterpart, freshman Connor Maguire (Dunstable, Mass.), had already made a key stop when he saved a penalty attempt by Mount Ida sophomore JT Yager (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) in the 23rd minute, after a Mustang forward was pulled down in the box. Maguire would go on to double Pils's output, with eight saves in the game, and at the time, kept the deficit one goal for the Cougars.
Though Clark had a 14-10 shot advantage in the first half, the home team seemed to have the better chances early on. They converted when sophomore Andrew Shaw (Anaheim, Calif.) streaked down the right side and found Templeton in the middle of the box. The senior striker sent a brilliant back-heel past a sprawling Maguire.
Mount Ida will return to Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action and will honor their graduating class of Seniors on Saturday afternoon when they host Suffolk at 2:30 pm at Alumni Field.
Clark heads to Babson this Saturday for a 1:00 pm New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) game.