Buzzer Beater Forces Lakers To Draw In Season Opener

HUNTINGTON, Ind. – Roosevelt's 2023-24 season started off with a disappointing 1-1 draw Saturday afternoon against Huntington in Huntington, Ind.

The Lakers (0-0-1) were on the front foot for most of the match and dominated the scoring opportunities in the opening 45 minutes. Roosevelt unleashed seven of its nine shots in the first half, forcing several strong saves from the Huntington goalkeeper in the opening minutes. Yet Huntington was able to salvage a draw with 11 seconds remaining after poking home a ball in front of the goal.

There was no stopping freshman Noah Vasilev's season-opening salvo as the midfielder launched a drive from 25 yards out to put the Lakers on the board. It was the end of a long string of possession for the Lakers that began with excellent defense on a set piece. The Foresters worked the ball out of their penalty area in the 32^nd minute, but Vasilev intercepted the clearing attempt and whipped a shot on goal that the keeper just watched tuck inside the upper left post.

In addition to Vasilev, Roosevelt received strong debuts from forward Ryusei Ogawa and goalie Dominik Strzepka in their first games for the Green & White. Ogawa did not record an official shot, but his pace was an issue for the Huntington backline, leading to several great chances for the Lakers offense. Returners Eduardo Hernandez, Valerio Joos and Sebastian Rodriguez had the other four shots on goal credited to the Lakers, and each had strong chances of their own to widen the gap.

At the other end of the field, Stzepka was equal to the task all day as he made his five saves look fairly routine. He was aggressive at corralling corner kicks and his size came in handy several times while picking balls out of the air to stifle opportunities. His biggest save, though, came in the 79^th minute when a quick counterattack from Huntington put their leading scorer from last season one-on-one with Strzepka. The Lakers keeper was quick off his line and was able to kick away the initial shot attempt before pouncing on the loose ball to end the threat.

Roosevelt played the final 10 minutes of the match down a man after Matteo Chiti was shown a red card for a second yellow-card offense. The Lakers' defense was able to keep the Foresters at bay for most of that time with excellent clearances and a little bit of sustained possession in the attacking third. However, the desperation from Huntington won out as a last-ditch effort into the corner allowed a Foresters attacker to run in and slot the tying pass into the goal mouth for the finish.

The Lakers nearly shocked the Foresters with a deep ball in the final 11 seconds, but Eduardo Hernandez missed the far post by inches with his buzzer-beating effort. Roosevelt will not try to regroup and capture its first win of the season Thursday at 7 p.m. when the Lakers welcome Northwestern (Iowa) to Morris Field in the home opener.