Thomas heroics help Grizzlies to 1-1 tie
Dunbar tallies first goal against Red Storm
ST. GEORGE, Utah— Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Jarod Thomas (Arvada, Colo.) made a school-record 13 saves, including one on an overtime penalty kick, as the Adams State College men’s soccer team tied host Dixie State (Utah) College 1-1 despite being out-shot 32-2 throughout the 110-minute, double-overtime match played Monday afternoon here at Hansen Stadium.
The tie was the Grizzlies’ third of this their inaugural season and partially spoiled the Red Storm’s home-opener.
The Grizzlies, now 0-5-3 overall, put just one shot on goal throughout the contest but made it count as junior midfielder Jesse Dunbar (Spokane, Wash.) scored his first goal in the ninth minute off a Peter Freeman (Longmont, Colo.) assist, his first of the season. The play, that came at the 8:18 mark was on a centering pass and allowed the Grizzlies to take their first ever 1-0 lead.
Freeman, who leads the team with two goals and five offensive points, had been the benefactor of a Dunbar assist in the Grizzlies’ first ever match on Aug. 27 at Mesa State. The Grizzlies also picked up a tie in that affair aided by a Thomas overtime penalty kick save.
Thomas, who is averaging an impressive 8.57 saves per game this year, was again the hero as he stopped Parker Kennah’s penalty kick that came just 3:44 into the first of two 10-minute overtimes.
Kennah had scored on an earlier penalty kick just 1:01 into the second half, his second goal in as many matches.
The Grizzlies, who were without a shot for the final 89 minutes and 15 seconds, were outshot 10-2 in the first half and by a 17-0 count in the second stanza, a time in which the Red Storm took eight of their 14 corner kicks. However, Thomas came up with six saves in the second half and another three in the overtime to preserve the hard-fought tie.
Kevin Young led the Red Storm (2-1-1) with seven shots while Joseph Jallow (Oldjeshwang, Gambia) took ASC’s only other shot in the 21st minute.
Four different Grizzlies, including Thomas and junior defender Nic Gonzalez, playing in his hometown, played all 110 minutes of the match contested with temperatures in the upper 80’s.
Five different Red Storm players played all 110 minutes, including Kennah and goalkeeper Tyler McAninch.
The Grizzlies, who have now played eight games in the first 19 days of the season, are off for 12 days before returning to the pitch in Hobbs, N.M. for a Sept. 26 encounter at the University of the Southwest. After a match against Eastern New Mexico in Portales on the following day, the Grizzlies are then home for two of their final three matches of an abbreviated initial season schedule.
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