PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Saint Francis University wound up on the short end of a dramatic, back-and-forth affair with the Duquesne University, losing 4-3 in overtime in non-conference men's soccer action on Tuesday.
The Red Flash scored the game-tying goal in the waning seconds of regulation to force overtime. With eight seconds left in regulation, Alexios Rodriguez (Silver Spring, Md./DeMatha Catholic) sent a cross into the box that found Maximus Rigby (York, England/Joseph Roundtree), who was able to put it in past the diving goalkeeper with just two seconds left on the clock to tie the match at 3. It was Rigby's first collegiate score.
In overtime, Rigby had his scoring chance thwarted at 93:12, and Patrick Heron (Lauder, Scotland/Earlston) gave Saint Francis its final scoring chance, but his shot was stopped 37 seconds later before Duquesne notched the golden goal at 94:08.
Jeff Thielmann (Bad Homburg, Germany/Ngo Bockenheim) and Piet Wesling (Hamburg, Germany) also found the twine in the match, while Jonas Dieseler (Dusseldorf, Germany/Lessing Berufskolleg) had three saves on the night for the Red Flash. Theilmann had an assist in 2019, but his goal was his first of his career, and Wesling notched his second career tally.
The two teams battled back and forth with Saint Francis taking the lead twice before being edged by Duquesne, 4-3 in overtime.
Theilman gave the Red Flash an early 1-0 lead at the 11:06 mark. The Dukes tied the match three minutes and 41 seconds later and the two teams went into the break knotted at 1. Wesling converted a penalty kick at 55:55 before Duquesne found the twine twice to take a 3-2 lead with 73:23 on the clock. Rigby's heroics in the closing seconds of the match send the game to the extra session. Saint Francis had a couple of scoring chances before Duquesne scored the decisive goal in the 95th minute.
Saint Francis, who was playing its season opener after its scheduled opener against St. Bonaventure University was postponed after playing 35 minutes on Thursday, holds a 6-4-2 record against Duquesne in the western Pennsylvania battle.
Saint Francis will travel to Lawrenceville, N.J., to take on the Rider University on Sunday, September 5 at 1 p.m. They will return to Stokes Soccerplex on September 15 at 4 p.m. to take on Bucknell University.
