Mattioli Scores Twice as AMCATS Tie with Rivier, 2-2

PAXTON, Mass.—The Anna Maria College men's soccer team battled the Raiders of Rivier University to a 2-2 double-overtime tie on Saturday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action.

With today's result, Anna Maria now sits at 1-5-1 and 1-1-1 in the GNAC, while the Raiders are 3-3-1 overall and 0-2-1 in league action.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Both teams scored a goal in each half to force overtime, where neither team was able to net a game-winner.

The first half was evenly-matched as Anna Maria took 12 shots to Rivier's 10. Rivier scored first and maintained a 1-0 lead for about 22 minutes until Anna Maria netted an equalizer.

In the second half, Anna Maria took a 2-1 lead in the 69^th minute, but their lead was short-lived as Rivier evened the score at 2-2 in the 77^th minute.

Rivier held a 9-5 advantage in shots in the second half and held a 2-1 lead in overtime to finish the game with a 21-18 edge.

SCORING

Michael Russo scored first for Rivier, scoring on an unassisted goal at the 9:09 mark. At the 31:43 mark, AMCAT senior Christopher Mattioli (Sturbridge, Mass.) took the ball off a Rivier defender and fired a 25-yard shot into the net to even the score at 1-1.

The score remained the same for over half-an-hour of clock time until the 69^th minute when Riley Kobus (Hubbardston, Mass.) sprinted down the left sideline with the ball and passed to Mattioli, who fired it in for the 2-1 lead.

In the 77^th minute Alex Armstrong (Wakefield, R.I.) evened the score as his shot from the top of the 18-yard box was deflected off an AMCAT defender, making the AMCATS' netminder Mark Robinshaw (Ashford, Conn.) off-course for the save.

OVERTIME

The AMCATS had one shot in the overtime period while the Raiders had two. In the 99^th minute the Raiders had an open look on net and a improper defensive play by Anna Maria resulted in two ejections. The AMCATS played two players down for the next 11 minutes.

GOALKEEPERS

Robinshaw tallied six saves in net for Anna Maria. Rivier goalkeeper Collin Deyarmin (Raymond, Mass.) tallied eight saves for the Raiders.

THE SERIES

The tie marks the second in the series against Rivier. The series record now sits at 2-2-2. Anna Maria's last win was in 2014, the Raiders took a 1-0 win last year in the season finale.

WHAT'S NEXT

Anna Maria hosts Framingham State on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in non-conference action before traveling to Norwich for a 4:00 p.m. start on Friday, September 30^th.