From Emory University Athetics
Emory University senior Dylan Price scored the game-winning goal in the 83rd minute and assisted on another to lead the Eagles to a 3-2 win over Rutgers University-Newark on Saturday night, and give the squad its second-consecutive win at the Sonny Carter Invitational.
With the victory, Emory finished the season-opening tournament with four points and a 1-0-1 record to claim the team victory for the ninth time in the 12 years of tournament play. Covenant finished in second with an 1-0-0 record, with their game against Centre rained out earlier in the day.
Price finished the tournament with two goals and an assist over the two contests, and was selected as the first two-time Most Valuable Player in the history of the Sonny Carter Invitational. Joining Price on the all-tournament team from Emory were sophomore forward Jason Andrejchak, sophomore defender Scott Haley, sophomore midfielder Max Gomas and junior midfielder Nick Schook.
Emory was forced to play Saturday's game without its two captains and starting center backs – senior Noah Rosen and junior Matt Sherr – who each served a suspension after receiving red cards during Friday's contest. However, with Haley and freshman Cody Gardiner filling in, the Eagles were able to limit the Scarlet Raiders to just eight shots on goal, including three on goal during the game.
Most of the scoring took place during a three-minute stretch in the first half, with Rutgers-Newark emerging with a 2-1 lead at the end of the fray. The Scarlet Raiders opened the scoring in the 23rd-minute, when a series of passes from Diego Moraes to Huburt Dul to Patryk Dawidczyk led to Dawidczyk scoring his first goal of the campaign.
Just over a minute later, sophomore Max Gomas evened the score for the Eagles, striking after a pass from Schook set up a cross from Andrejchak. The ball crossed in front of the face of the net and to the feet of Gomas, who finished with a shot for his first goal of the season.
It would not be long before Rutgers-Newark regained the lead, this time scoring in the 26th minute on a give-and-go between Dul and Charlie O'Connell that saw Dul finish for his first goal of the season, giving the visitors a 2-1 lead.
The first half finished with fairly even shot totals for both teams, with the Scarlet Raiders registering five shots, including three on goal, and the Eagles taking four shots, with a pair on frame.
Emory would even the score again shortly into the start of the second half, when junior Connor Curtin registered the equalizer, his first of the season, in the 48th minute. Andrejchak would once again notch an assist, sending a pass into the box that was redirected by Price, bringing the keeper forward out of the net and allowing Curtin to finish into an open net.
The score remained tied at two until the closing minutes, when Price was able to take advantage of a miscue by the Rutgers-Newark goalkeeper, who lost possession after trying to secure an Emory cross in the 83rd minute. Price was waiting to collect the loose ball, and finished with a shot into the net for his second goal in as many games. It was also his 12 career game-winning goal, placing him one behind Matthew Levine (2000-03) for second-place in school history, and six behind the all-time leader, Patrick Carver (2005-08).
Emory finished the game with 11 shots, including five on goal. Gomas led all Eagles with three shots, while freshman Jason McCartney took a game-best two shots on goal.
With the loss, the Rutgers-Newark dropped to 0-2-0 on the season, with goalkeeper Matt Broomall making a pair of saves in the defeat.