NEWTON, Mass. – For the second straight year, Mount Ida College will play in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's soccer semifinals after a pair of goals by senior Carlos Martinez (Chelsea, Mass.) powered the Mustangs to a 2-1 overtime victory over Lasell College in a quarterfinal tilt on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field.
This year the second seeded Mustangs (12-5-1) will play the semifinals on their home turf, as they will host #6 Albertus Magnus on Wednesday, November 4th, with game time still yet to be determined.
The Mustangs have shown a penchant for performing late all season long, improving to 4-1-1 in overtime games. They have also been a force within the confines of Alumni Field, as they have now won nine straight games at home, with their only loss coming in the season opener against Roger Williams back on September 1st, a full two months ago.
With 2:47 remaining in the first overtime period on Sunday, Martinez received a ball played over the top by junior Shawn Bernardo (Peabody, Mass.), that left him unguarded behind the defensive back-line of the Lasers.
The flag for offsides stayed down, however, and Martinez was left one on one with Lasell goalie Miguel Colmenares (Caracas, Venezuela), who he deked and slotted past for the decisive goal, his first game-winner of the year.
After a scoreless first half in which Mount Ida held a 10-7 lead in shots, a flurry of activity saw two goals scored in less than two minutes.
For the second time this year against the Mustangs, Lasell took the lead on an own goal when senior Jonathan Sutton's (Orange, Conn.) corner kick caromed off of the Mount Ida defense and past Riley Ford (Guilderland, Conn.) in the 58th minute.
It was the first goal of the year for Sutton, but it would only provide a short-lived edge for the visitors, who conceded a free kick to Mount Ida just over a minute and a half later. After a touch from junior JT Yager (Ballston Spa, N.Y.), Martinez rifled the ball into the top corner at the far post from 25 yards out to knot the score at a goal apiece.
Martinez's goals were his seventh and eighth of the season, giving him 26 for his career, which ties the Mount Ida school record, equaling the work of Diego Centurion (2001-04).
Opportunities were more plentiful for each team in the second half, with Mount Ida outshooting the Lasers 12-10. Ford made five stops in the second half, en route to a seven save performance, and would save his only test in overtime, off the foot of Lasell sophomore Stephen Blood (Windsor, Conn.).
Colmenares made seven saves in defeat as he ends an impressive Laser career in which he made 75 starts between the pipes. Colmenares was no less impressive in his final performance, stopping point blank shots by Martinez and Alexi Flores (Central Falls, R.I.) in the first half to keep the teams level.
The Mustangs dominated the overtime period with a 7-1 advantage in shots, leading to a 29-18 edge in attempts over the game, coupled with a 10-4 corner kick lead.
Lasell ends their season with a 3-13 record after posting a 3-6 mark in conference play and making the postseason for the ninth consecutive year since joining the GNAC in 2007.