Worcester, MA --- Senior Derek Alves (Ludlow, MA) tallied the winning marker in the 96th minute to lead Worcester State past Elms College in non-conference men's soccer action this evening at Coughlin Field.
The Lancers (4-2-3) had a great opportunity to get on the board first midway through the opening period when senior Brendan Whitson (Auburn, MA) sent a header just wide of the left post off of a corner kick in the 25th minute.
Elms (4-5) countered the attack just two minutes later when second-year Lorenzo Rolocut (Somers, CT) sprinted up the right side and sent a cross to senior Ziggy Jonathan (Springfield, MA) that was thwarted away by the Lancer defense to keep the game scoreless.
The Trailblazers were then awarded a penalty kick following a foul in the box in the 31st minute, but senior Adam O'Grady (Somers, CT) was stonewalled by WSU sophomore keeper Nick Zucco (Ludlow, MA) as he tried to pick the right corner.
The Blue and Gold seemed poised to go into the half with the one-goal lead when junior Derek Kareta (Ludlow, MA) sent a cross from the left side into the box, however, Whitson's header sailed just past the left post with 58 ticks remaining in the half.
Kareta led the Lancer attack coming out of the intermission as he fired a missile from a few steps inside the box that sailed just outside the far post to keep the game at 0-0 in the 48th minute.
O'Grady generated back-to-back chances to net the go-ahead score midway through the second stanza, but couldn't find the twine behind Zucco and the contest remained scoreless in the 76th minute.
Jonathan had another bid in the waning moments of regulation for the match-clincher. Zucco though had other plans as he gobbled up the attempt to send the match into extra time.
Midway through the overtime session Alves won the race for a loose ball at the top of the box and deposited it into the bottom right hand corner of the net for the golden goal.
Zucco was outstanding in net for the hosts stopping eight balls to record his third-straight shutout as Trailblazer sophomore Christian Kostka (Oxford, MA) registered one save in the setback.
Worcester State outshot their opponents, 18-16, but Elms had the 8-2 margin in shots on goal and the slight edge in corners (7-5).
The Lancers remain at home to face-off with MASCAC foe Bridgewater State on Saturday at high noon while the Trailblazers return to Worcester on Thursday to take on WPI at 7 PM in a game that is being made up from earlier in the year.
Story by John Hanna --- Sports Information Graduate Assistant
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