Juan Luna (Mount Jackson, Va./Stonewall Jackson) bent in an incredible game-winner with just 1:35 left, securing a wild 4-3 win for EMU’s soccer men Wednesday night at Ferrum. The junior earned his first collegiate hat trick in the process, which nearly over-shadowed the great play of Parker Leap (Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite), who shocked everyone with a game-tying goal less than five minutes earlier.
Luna’s free kick capped an up-and-down second half of play, which saw a total of six goals scored between the two teams. Eastern Mennonite improves to 4-1-2 with their third straight win.
The teams combined for 15 shots in the first half, but the Panthers held a narrow 1-0 lead at the intermission on the legs of a goal from Keith Ricks in the 37th minute.
EMU stepped up the pressure from the opening touch of the second, firing three shots on goal in less than three-and-a-half minutes. Luna finally hit the net in the 51st minute, notching what turned out to be the first of three equalizers in the contest.
Minutes later, Leap assisted Luna on his second goal, bumping the Royals in front, 2-1.
They continued to dominate the half, but Ferrum scored surprising goals from Ricks in the 59th and Kyle Simpkins in the 64th minute to suddenly regain a 3-2 edge.
Chances diminished over the next 15 minutes, outside of Ricks rattling a shot off the crossbar.
As the final minutes approached, the Royals went on the offensive. The men sent a couple of long shots high, aptly setting up Leap’s laser in the 84th minute. Hunter Sampson (Salem, Va./Salem) gave him a quick handoff outside of the box, and Leap drove one to the upper corner of the far post as the Panthers’ defenders and keeper stood flat-footed.
Then with less than two minutes to play, Leap was fouled on a drive just outside of the box, not far from where he had launched his goal just minutes earlier. He ended up leaving the game after the play due to cramping, further highlighting his heroic efforts with his body wearing out on the hot night.
Luna then lined up to take the free kick, staring at a wall of five Panthers bookended by blue Royals jerseys. As the junior broke for the ball, teammate Daniel Obour (Alexandria, Va./Mount Vernon) peeled away from the right end of the wall and Luna sent his shot through the vacated space. It wickedly bent in to the near post, leaving Ferrum’s keeper no chance at the game-winner.
By that point, the fact of Luna picking up a hat trick hardly mattered compared to giving his team the win.
Eastern Mennonite had a commanding 15-6 advantage in shots in the second half, and 20-16 for the game. Matthew Overacker (Mount Crawford, Va./Turner Ashby) made five saves in goal.
The Royals return home for their next two, starting with Albright College this Saturday at noon. EMU also hosts rival Bridgewater in a non-conference game next Wednesday night.
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