(OT)
Monmouth Hawks (2-2-1, 2-2-1 MAAC) – 4
Niagara Purple Eagles (5-2-0, 4-2-0 MAAC) - 3
 
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, NY – After trailing 3-1 at halftime, the Monmouth University men's soccer team stormed back to defeat Niagara in overtime, 4-3. The win secured the Hawks a spot in the upcoming MAAC Tournament as the No. 6 seed.
 
Four different players scored for Monmouth, including sophomore Ben Zakowski (Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock), senior Sebastian Rodriguez (Cartago, Costa Rica/Mont Berkeley/Virginia Tech), sophomore Julian Gomez (Fairview, NJ/St. Benedict's), and junior Liam McGregor (Middletown, NJ/Middletown North).
 
Zakowski also registered two assists in the win, including the game-winning cross that found the head of McGregor.
 
McGregor, sophomore Griffin Tomas (Seymour, CT/Seymour), and junior Robin Oswald (Bavaria, Germany/Maristen-Gymnasium Furth) also added assists.
 
Monmouth finishes the regular season with a 2-2-1 (2-2-1 MAAC) record, and will face No. 3 Niagara in the MAAC Quarterfinals on Sunday.
 
NOTES AND QUOTES
 
"It was a very exciting match. Niagara is a very good team, so that was a great win. We created a lot of good chances in both halves, and got our reward in the end. We're looking forward to the postseason." – Monmouth head coach Robert McCourt
 
-Zakowski nearly gave Monmouth the lead in the 11^th minute, bending a shot to the far post from outside of the 18 that sailed just high.
-In the 21^st minute, Tomas sent a long cross that the Niagara goalie punched down. McGregor grabbed the rebound and played a square ball to Zakowski inside the six. The sophomore tapped it in for the 1-0 lead.
-Less than five minutes later, the Purple Eagles scored the equalizer with a scramble on the near post.
-Niagara won a 50-50 ball, dribbled down the left sideline, and played a pass across the box to take a 2-1 advantage in the 28^th minute.
-After a blocked shot, Niagara placed the rebound into the left side netting in the 32^nd minute, making it 3-1.
-Early in the second half, Monmouth cut the deficit in half with a goal from Rodriguez. Tomas placed a perfect ball on the head of Oswald on a corner kick, and Rodriguez quickly took the header, spun, and found the back of the net.
-In the 59^th minute, Zakowski dribbled through multiple defenders and passed it along to Gomez. After a quick move, he turned and scored the equalizer with his left foot through the legs of the defender.
-Just over a minute into the first overtime, Zakowski played a long cross from the far sideline, and McGregor leaped right in front of the goalkeeper for the game-winning header.
 
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Monmouth had a massive 28-9 advantage in shots, including 14-6 on goal.
-McGregor has five goals in his last 10 games. He leads the team with seven points on the season.
-Gomez scored his second goal of the season, which ranks second on the squad.
-Rodriguez notched his first goal of the season, and third of his MU career.
-Zakowski totaled five points on the afternoon (one goal, two assists). He now has 19 points in his first 22 career games.
-The Hawks had an 11-4 advantage in corner kicks.
-Redshirt junior goalkeeper Sean Murray registered three saves.
-Monmouth will play its fourth road game out of six on Sunday.
 
UP NEXT
No. 6 Monmouth will travel to No. 3 Niagara in the MAAC Quarterfinals on Sunday.