Sabadoz Nets Golden Goal as Merrimack Men’s Soccer Downs St. Anselm

senior captain Robbie Sabadoz of Ottawa, Ontario, scored in the 97th minute to propel the Merrimack men’s soccer team to a thrilling 3-2 overtime-victory against Saint Anselm Tuesday evening at Warrior Field. The Warriors improve to 5-2-2 overall and 3-2-0 in the Northeast-10 Conference. The Hawks drop to 4-4-2 on the season and 1-3-1 in the league.

Franklin Pena of San Salvador, El Salvador, put Merrimack on the board early in the match. Pena baffled the Hawks’ goalkeeper on a strike from the left side of the penalty box. The junior snuck his shot into the near post despite the goalkeeper getting a hand on it. Pena’s second goal of the year in the seventh minute gave the Warriors a quick 1-0 lead.

Olof Lindhe of Stockholm, Sweden, came close to netting his first of the season in the 11th minute. Lindhe headed the ball towards the right post off of a corner kick but a Saint Anselm defender was able to clear it off of the line.

Bruno Dasilva tied the match at 1-1 midway through the first frame with his fourth score of the year. Dasilva tucked a hard shot into the lower left corner of the cage.

The Hawks owned a 6-4 advantage in shots through the opening 45 minutes of play.

Nicholas LoCoco of Gloucester restored the Merrimack’s one-goal edge with a tally in the 59th minute. After a loose ball that trickled to the center of the pitch, LoCoco hit a one-time shot from the top of the penalty box. The senior’s bid was headed towards the left corner before taking a deflection, sending it into the opposite side of the net.

Just five minutes later, Maximillian Glebocki tied the contest with his eighth marker of the year. Glebocki headed in a cross that was flicked on by Cliff Parker.

At the end of regulation, the Warriors held a 17-13 margin in shots and an 8-3 advantage in corner kicks.

Sabadoz buried Merrimack’s third shot into the overtime session, tucking it into the right corner. Pena trapped a long ball on the left flank and recovered after slipping to the ground. The junior shook a defender and slid a pass to Sabadoz unmarked at the top of the box. The senior captain dribbled around a sprawling defender and calmly rolled the ball into the cage to cap off the victory.

The Warriors concluded the match with a 20-13 advantage in shots and a 9-3 gap in corner kicks earned.

Mattias Drummond of Partille, Sweden, picked up his fifth win of the season in goal with a two-save performance on the night. Eric Moriarty stopped three shots between the pipes for Saint Anselm.

“We needed a victory tonight and we kept battling back to take the lead,” said head coach Tony Martone. “Robbie did well to finish that shot with composure and finesse instead of putting his head down and blasting it.”

Merrimack remains at home as it welcomes Southern Connecticut to Warrior Field October 1 for a Northeast-10 Conference tilt. Prior to the match, Merrimack will honor longtime head coaches Tony Martone and Gabe Mejail by renaming Warrior Field, Martone-Mejail Field. There will be a special dedication ceremony at 11:30 a.m.