Salisbury, N.C. – The Newberry men's soccer team travelled to Catawba for their final game of the season on Wednesday, coming up short in the 110^th minute of the 3-2 defeat.
 
The temperature was already dropping by the 5:00 p.m. kickoff time, but the Wolves got off to a hot start this time around. Less than three minutes into the game, Senior Noah Vezzu received a cross at the top of the box from freshman Henok Awoke and fired a shot past the keeper to record his third goal of the season.
 
Taking the early advantage was a crucial moment for the Wolves, but they did not get to enjoy it for long. The Indians struck back off of a seventh-minute setpiece when sophomore Joseph Allerton gathered up the loose ball in the box, sending in a quick shot for his third goal on the year.
 
After the early pair of goals, neither team would record another in the first half. Catawba held the advantage in shots over this time, forcing keeper Pablo Cubas to make an impressive seven saves before the break, but they were unable to get another in the net.
 
The second half got off to a much slower start, with the Wolves registering the only shot attempt in the first ten minutes. But Allerton would make his presence known again in the 59^th minute. Drawing the attention of the defense as he brought the ball into the box, Allerton played a through ball to midfielder Tom Savigar, who earned his eighth score of the season after beating the keeper in a one-on-one.
 
With the game still tightly contested, the Wolves soon found an equalizer of their own. After Vezzu's shot in the 64^th minute was pushed over the crossbar, Newberry pushed up for the corner kick. There, freshman Oliver Ringqvist sent a header in front of the goal, where fellow defender Harry McDonell volleyed it in for his team-leading fifth score of the season.
 
The teams went back and forth for the remainder of the half but neither was able to retake the lead. Newberry gave the hosts a scare in a 90^th-minute counterattack when senior Tre Bonaparte went on a deep run into the box, but keeper Gianluca Tommasi made an excellent save to send the game to extra time.
 
After the first overtime saw both keepers make saves to defuse scoring opportunities, the game looked likely to end in a draw. But the Indians continued to press, finding the elusive goal in the 110^th minute. On their 33^rd shot of the night, freshman Salano Birch blasted a shot from outside the box, just sneaking under the crossbar to give his team the victory.
 
The heartbreaking loss was an appropriate end to the 2021 season for the Wolves, as they battled to the last minute but could not get catch a break when they needed it. The loss drops them to 3-13 on the season, but the statistics don't show the resilience displayed by the team in such a tough match.