Ninety minutes wasn’t enough to decide a winner between the Amherst College men’s soccer team and University of Chicago in the NCAA Div. 3 semifinals on Friday.
Neither the Mammoths nor the Phoenix were able to produce a goal in regulation, leading to overtime.
The first 10-minute overtime didn’t produce a goal, leading to a second overtime where Amherst’s Ignacio Cubeddu made the play of the game.
The Mammoths drew a corner with just over two minutes to play in the second OT. Bryce Johnson sent a ball into the box that was deflected out to Cubeddu just outside the box.
Cubeddu took it on a bounce and blasted a shot that made it through traffic and into the bottom left corner of the goal to send Amherst to the national title game thanks to a 1-0 victory at the UNC Greensboro Soccer Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.
The Mammoths advanced to the Div. 3 finals on Saturday at 7 p.m. where they will take on fellow NESCAC foe Connecticut College, who defeated Washington and Lee 2-1 in overtime in the other semifinal on Friday.
Just before Amherst (17-2-2) struck in the second overtime, Chicago (16-6-1) had a great chance to end the game on the other end of the field. Ryan Yetishefsky took a cross in the box and rocketed a shot on goal but Mammoth keeper Kofi Hope-Gund came up with a diving save to keep the game scoreless.
Amherst drew the corner that won the game on the ensuing trip up the field.
The Mammoths held an 8-3 shot advantage at the end of regulation and had a 5-3 edge in shots in overtime. Hope-Gund made two saves while Chicago goalie Will Boyes made three saves in the loss.
Saturday’s championship game will be the second meeting of the season between the two NESCAC foes, with Amherst winning the first game 2-0 on Sept. 25.