Rollercoaster Match for Mount Union and John Carroll

A hat trick by Mount Union’s Thomas Beck wasn’t enough to get the Purple Raiders past John Carroll on Tuesday night as Mount fell 5-4 on penalty kicks. John Carroll advanced to play at number one seeded Heidelberg on Thursday night.

The game certainly had a bit of everything: a freshman phenom scoring three goals, two legit pro prospects, acrobatic saves, a substitute scoring two goals, two overtime periods, and a set of PKs.

Not to mention a high level of intensity, a strong sense of urgency, and lots of physical play. There were an unbelievable 43 fouls committed and an equally ridiculous 46 shots.

Things started out well for the Purple Raiders, who were competing in their first OAC Tournament since 2003. Midfielder Leo Hicks, who finished the night with two assists, connected with Beck in the 27th minute to put Mount up 1-0. Beck would launch a header to the far post past John Carroll’s Carl Contrascier, giving the home squad a bit of momentum. Beck would get another opportunity in the 51st minute after fellow striker Dylan Walls was taken down in the box. A PK was awarded and Beck calmly converted to give Mount a 2-0 lead over the visitors.

Three minutes later John Carroll midfielder Kyle Buxman put the Blue Streaks on the board for the first time of the evening after collecting a rebound and depositing into the Mount Union goal past a helpless Jon Critell.

Contrascier would make the save of the night in the 59th, knocking down a shot from Mount’s Kevin Cindric with an acrobatic maneuver.

Substitute Kevin McKamish would put his own mark on the game in the 71st minute, getting the equalizer from 12 yards out. Buxman would get credit for the assist.

Beck would finish out his hat trick with a rocket from 30 yards out that made its way to the far post. It appeared that the Purple Raiders had this one in the bag, but McKamish came up with his second of the night to force the match into overtime.

Two overtime periods saw no change in the 3-3 scoreline. The match went into penalty kicks, where John Carroll came away victorious. One missed PK is all it took for Mount to lose and allow John Carroll to advance in the tournament.

While the Purple Raiders start thinking about the offseason, the Blue Streaks prepare for Heidelberg, who finished the regular season with an overall record of 13-3-2.

While disappointed, Mount Union Head Coach John Witkowski was pleased with the progress the program has made since his arrival. “I am very proud of the players for making the playoffs,” Wikowski declared. “We have a lot of players returning for next year so the future is looking bright.”

Check out the match photos on our Facebook page.