Kansas City
Seattle
'Roos Drop 4-3 Heartbreaker on Senior Day to Seattle
11/3/2013 2:57:00 PM | Men's Soccer
(Kansas City, Mo.) - The Kansas City men's soccer team played a brilliant first half on Sunday against Seattle, taking a 3-1 lead into the break, but the league-leading Redhawks stormed back in the final half to steal a 4-3 victory and spoil the 'Roos Senior Day.
The 'Roos (4-9-4, 3-5-1 WAC) had numerous scoring opportunities in the opening half, starting with a penalty kick in the sixth minute after senior Alioune Gueye was fouled in the box. The kick was taken well by Guerrero Pino, but Seattle (7-8-4, 6-0-3 WAC) goalkeeper Jake Feener made the first of several big-time saves to keep the 'Roos off the board.
His next big save came in the 18th minute when junior defender Michael Oakley got his head on the end of a corner kick that looked to be headed for a goal, but a diving Feener parried it away.
The next opportunity came when UMKC was whistled for a hand ball outside of its own 18 on the right side. Seattle's Ian Ike-Hines drilled a curling left-footed shot into the top left corner of the net to give the Redhawks a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute.
UMKC answered quickly though, when Derek Schrick played a ball in the box in the 24th minute that Gueye trapped with his back to the net. He then turned around a defender and nailed a shot into the right side of the net for his second goal of the year.
Gueye continued his stellar half with an assist in the 31st minute when he made another run down the right side before finding sophomore Broc Cramer with a pass across the six on the ground for a one-touch finish. It was Cramer's first goal of the season.
The scoring wasn't done though as Cramer beat his defender on the right side before playing the ball back from the endline to junior Tato Chiaparro for a one-touch finish into the far post from eight yards away. Chiaparro's 36th minute tally was the fifth of the season. The goal also marked the highest scoring game of the season for UMKC at three.
UMKC easily had seven great scoring chances in the period, including a long distance attempt from Schrick with 26 seconds left, but Feener was able to make six first half saves and keep the Redhawks within striking distance for the second half. UMKC goalkeeper Chris McGaughey did not have to make a save in the half as UMKC had a 10-6 advantage in shots, including a 9-0 advantage in shots on frame.
The second stanza was a more even contest, but Seattle put the pressure on right away, getting on the end of a corner kick for a header goal in the 50th minute by Shane Mahvi. They nearly tied it just minutes later when Ike-Hines struck a free kick off the right post from 25 yards out.
Kansas City nearly answered in the 54th minute when senior Zach Balthazar stuck a shot from the left side, but Feener was again up to the task with a save that was knocked out for a corner.
The two squads both had chances to move the game in different directions, but the Redhawks struck to tie it at three in the 82nd minute when Hamza Haddadi was left open inside the six for a header off a cross from Jeff Rose. The unthinkable happened when Rose found Jonathan Massimino open on the back post for an easy finish in the 87th minute to make it 4-3 within a span of five minutes.
UMKC out-shot Seattle by a 19-15 margin, including a 12-6 advantage on goal. Feener, who leads the league in saves, had nine more in the game, while McGaughey tallied two for the 'Roos.
The 'Roos will finish the regular season next Saturday when they head to Houston for a contest against Houston Baptist, before going to the WAC Tournament in Colorado Springs on the campus of Air Force the following week.
Players Mentioned
