WILMINGTON — Salesianum rallied from a three-goal second-half deficit, forcing overtime before falling, 6-5, to visiting St. Augustine (N.J.) in boys soccer action Sept. 14 at Abessinio Stadium.
It was a rollicking affair that drew an admirable number of Hermits fans from nearby Richland, N.J., in Atlantic County. Not only were there 11 goals, but also a sizeable number of corner kicks, free kicks, quality saves, slide tackles and yellow cards.
The Sals had overcome a halftime deficit for a win in their most recent game at Wilmington Charter, and they played from behind for much of the night against the Hermits. In the third minute, St. Augustine had a throw-in deep in its offensive end, and the ball was headed to the far side past Sals keeper Thomas DeRosa.
Hermits goalkeeper Matt Carr kept the Sals off the board just a few minutes later with a great save. The resulting corner kick was unsuccessful. DeRosa added a fine save of his own, and in the 21st minute, the Sals would equalize. Brady Esser blasted a shot off Carr’s hands following a Salesianum free kick.
That was it for the scoring in the first half, although the Sals came close to taking the lead a few times. One shot hit the underside of the crossbar and stayed out, and Carr beat Chase Esser to a long through ball up the middle of the pitch.
As they had in the first half, the Hermits got on the board early in the second off a set piece that was headed in. It took only a minute for St. Augustine to extend the lead to 3-1 when Derek Mosley reached a long through ball up the middle, evaded a defender and chipped the ball into the net.
The situation worsened for the Sals in the 50th. A steal by the Hermits ended up on the foot of Michael Coluzzi, and he sent a screamer off the crossbar and into the net. But Salesianum began the climb back immediately, heading downfield on the restart, with Tyler Cifa going to Carr’s left.
In the next seven minutes, the Sals had three corner kicks, and they cashed in on the third when the inbounds pass was headed to the left side of the net. That cut the Hermits’ lead to 4-3.
St. Augustine added what could have been the dagger, but the Sals kept coming. Cifa scored on a penalty kick in the 73rd to pull his team back within one, and the Sals played with an 11-10 personnel advantage after a St. Augustine player was sent off two minutes later.
The Sals earned a corner in the 77th, but the shot was deflected over the end line. On the ensuing corner, the Hermits knocked the ball out of the box, but Cifa sent it back in through a maze of bodies, eluding everyone and getting it past Carr, leveling the score.
DeRosa stopped on St. Augustine shot in the 84th minute, but there was nothing he could do on the winner. A free kick from 65 yards out was headed by Mosley over the leaping keeper and into the net, bringing the match to an end.
Final statistics were not available late Saturday night. The Sals (1-2) will play at LaSalle College High School (Pa.) in Philadelphia on Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m.
