Seven Yellow Cards Drawn in Season-Opener as Harford Men’s Soccer Falls, 2-1, in Overtime to Northern Virginia

From the HCC sports desk:

BEL AIR, Md.—The Harford men’s soccer team took a 1-1 tie into overtime but didn’t get a chance to mount any offense as Northern Virginia converted during the 92nd minute to take the 2-1, extra-time, win in the Fighting Owls (0-1) 2009 season opener on Friday night at Harford Stadium.

The teams battled increasingly heavy rains and winds as a tropical storm made its way up the East Coast and the play on the field mirrored the ferocity of the surrounding weather as the two teams combined for seven caution penalties in the early-season game.

The Raiders (1-0) wasted no time as Scott Taylor gathered a ball off a botched clear attempt by the Harford defense and fed Edwin Zolano, who dribbled one past Harford sophomore keeper Taylor Dize (Bel Air, Md./Salem Christian) at the 4:13 mark.

The Harford offense quickly retaliated, however, as freshman Derek Hyde (Fallston, Md./Fallston) headed down a ball in the midst of a scramble and dished it to freshman Nick Burdick (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) who fired it past the NOVA keeper to knot the score in the seventh minute.

Neither team would see a substantial scoring chance for the remainder of the half as the teams took a 1-1 tie into the break.

NOVA would come out firing in the second period, pelting Dize with 11 shots, seven of them on goal, but all turned away by the veteran Owl keeper who totaled eight saves on the day. The Harford offense managed just three shots of its own, none of them on goal, leaving NOVA goalie Prashant Singh with just one save for the game.

As regulation time ticked away, neither team would manage a shot in the final four minutes, sending the game into overtime.

The Raiders took control of the ball to start the extra period and would not relinquish their possession until the conclusion of the contest. As the game entered its 92nd minute, there would be a scramble directly in front of the Harford goal and Juan Pierre Kanashiro would connect with a bicycle kick that floated just over the hands of Dize into the net for the game-winner at 91:05.

The Raiders outshot the Owls 16-8 and held a 9-2 advantage on corner kicks, but committed 17 fouls to Harford’s 11, while Dize corralled eight balls and Singh stopped one shot in 91:05.

The Fighting Owls continue the season on Tuesday when they open MDJUCO conference-play against Prince George’s at 7:30 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the women’s team, who will open their season against Anne Arundel at 5:30 p.m. at Harford Stadium