Sport writer Aiman Fariz Zaqwan Bin Akmal Hizam discusses the men’s soccer game.
Tulsa’s Golden Hurricanes welcomed the Drake Bulldogs to our home field on Saturday, Sept. 9 on a mission to win following the hotly contested 1-1 draw against Missouri State last week, while Drake was looking to bounce back from their 4-3 loss to the UMKC Kangaroos.
Coach Tom McIntosh made three changes to his starting eleven with Takayoshi Wyatt, Jared Aguilar and Nils Orywol starting in place of Yuki Sekiguchi, Sergio Baena and Luke Jeffus. Meanwhile, Coach Pat Flinn of Drake made four changes to his team, with Damien Segura, Cole Shrage and Brennan Rezuwski replacing Evan Carlson, Barrett Kitts and Austin Holtebeck. While Tulsa looked to play with an initial offensive 4-2-3-1 formation rather than the balanced 4-4-2 that they had started with at their last match, Drake switched from an offensive 4-2-3-1 to start with a more defensive 5-3-2 formation.
The stage was set for a captivating battle, with fans eagerly awaiting the outcome of this high-stakes clash. The referee checked the clock and blew his whistle to begin the first half. TU got the ball rolling and both teams exchanged attacks right off the bat.
Eighteen minutes into the match, Mike Eijgendaal from TU played a brave through ball attempt from the left flank into the final third. Malik Henry-Scott got to the ball first and did a swift touch-and-turn before his left-footed strike sent the ball into Drake’s far post, giving Tulsa a one goal advantage.
The Bulldogs’ scoring hiatus did not last much longer. Just 15 minutes after that, Cole Shrage’s lob pass found his teammate, AJ Franklin on the left, and played a quick forward pass into TU’s penalty box. Damien Segura arrived at the ball first and released a thunderous first-touch strike into TU’s far post to get Drake’s heads back into the game. TU did not wait long for a response. Mikey Morales’ in-swinging corner kick in the 41st minute found Wes Bottenburg, whose towering header sent the ball into the back of the net, and TU reclaimed their lead. The first half ended with TU leading 2-1.
Drake got the ball rolling for the second half and wasted no time finding the equalizer. Paul Richnow missed the header to intercept Deng’s long ball attempt which released Drake’s Iradukunda on the right flank. Iradukunda carried Drake’s threat into the final third, but instead of shooting, he played a cutback to the center and found Damien Segura, who found his second goal of the night with another left-footed shot.
In the 70th minute, Orywol showcased his exceptional dribbling skills on the left side of the final third, eluding two defenders with ease before executing a precise cross to the opposite flank. The ball found Tom Protzek, who swiftly delivered a pass towards the center. Henry-Scott seized the opportunity, beating everyone to the ball with a deft second touch, seamlessly turning and launching a left-footed shot into the net. This marked Henry-Scott’s second goal of the match, securing TU’s lead once again.
With 10 minutes of regular time left on the clock, TU launched another threatening attack. Morales delivered an impeccable pass that pierced through Drake’s complacent defense, pinpointing Protzek, who played a quick cutback toward the center. The ball reached Henry-Scott, but his promising opportunity was abruptly halted by Erich Legut’s dangerous slide tackle challenge. The referee had no hesitation pointing to the penalty spot and showing a yellow card to Legut. Henry-Scott stepped up for the task to find his hat-trick, but his shot sailed high and the score remained 3-2.
TU looked to protect their lead in the dying minutes, but a foul by Henry-Scott on Drake’s number 21 in the 89th minute gave Drake their first penalty kick of the year. Franklin confidently stepped up and had no trouble placing the ball into the top corner of TU’s far post, leveling the game once again at 3-3. Tempers flared after the goal as Franklin provoked goalie Alex Lopex, who bought in and pushed him. Both Lopez and Franklin were shown a yellow card by the referee.
Ninety minutes had ended, and an additional 10 were provided. Five minutes into the extra time, Protzek played a quick throw-in to Henry-Scott, who raced down the right flank. Having no options to pass forward, Henry-Scott played the ball backwards for Protzek to attempt a shot from outside the box. The ball rebounded off Drake’s defense but met Mikey Morales, who tapped it into Drake’s open net for a stoppage-time heroic that gave TU a narrow 4-3 win over Drake.
The final whistle echoed through the jubilant Hurricane Soccer Stadium, signaling the victorious reign of the Golden Hurricanes. Now, both teams must shift their attention to their upcoming conference openers as TU is set to travel to Florida to take on FAU, while Drake will head to Des Moines for a clash with Omaha.
