Sept. 7, 2007
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BALTIMORE, Md. -- Navy sophomore Mark Garcia (Tempe, Ariz.) scored in the 104th minute, lifting the Mids to a 2-1 win over Iona in the UMBC Adidas Soccer Classic on a hot Friday afternoon in Baltimore. The win moves Navy's record to 2-0-1 overall. Iona, which entered the game ranked eighth in the NSCAA North Atlantic Regional rankings, falls to 1-2-0 overall.
"We played a little sloppy in the first half, and look a little tired, but I was proud of the way we battled in the second half," said Navy head coach Rich Miranda. "We were playing to their strengths in the first half by playing down the middle of the field. We told them to get wide in the second half and it worked. We showed a lot of character and toughness in the second half."
Navy fell behind 1-0 on an outstanding invidual effort by Iona's Aly Lo, who beat two Navy defenders and found the back of the net in the 14th minute for a 1-0 Gaels lead. Iona would take that lead into intermission.
However, Navy started to apply the pressure in the second half, drawing even in the 51st minute. Junior Adam Pennington (Tampa, Fla.) one-timed a perfect cross into the box from Justin Waskey (Georgetown, Ky.), who had beaten two Iona defenders to the endline. Pennington's shot from 15 yards out found the lower right corner and tied the game at 1-1 early in the second half. The goal was Pennington's first career goal.
After a fairly-even remainder of the second half and first overtime session, the Mids ended the game early in the second overtime session, Garcia received a cross from classmate Chris Schneider (Arlington, Texas) at the six-yard box and played a perfectly-timed bicycle kick that rocketed into the back of the net for the "Golden Goal". The goal was Garcia's first of the season and second of his career. The assist was Schneider's second of the season.
"It was an incredible goal," said Miranda. "When it was in the process of happening, we thought he wasn't going to try the bicycle kick, but that was his only option. It was one of the best goals I have ever seen in a college game."
It was Navy's first overtime-winning goal since Matt Sanchez's netter defeated Massachusetts, 3-2, on Sept. 1, 2002, in overtime. Navy's 2-0-1 start is the best start since the 2001 team that went 11-3-3 and advanced to the Patriot League Tournament also started the year 2-0-1.
The Mids outshot Iona, 11-9, and drew nine corner kicks to Iona's six. Both teams recorded 12 fouls. Evan Barnes (Dublin, Ohio) recorded two saves in goal, while allowing his first goal in three games. Through three games, Navy has allowed just 25 shots, and just 10 on goal.
Navy will play St. Francis (N.Y.) on Sunday at noon for its final game of the UMBC Adidas Soccer Classic
# GO NAVY #
