Gonzalez Propels Hillcats to 1-0 Victory with Game-Winning Overtime Goal
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September 15, 2017
CLAREMORE, Okla. – Senior Riggie Gonzalez secured a 1-0 overtime victory for the Rogers State men's soccer team with a bending free kick goal to upend Lubbock Christian on Thursday night (Sept. 14) at Soldier Field.
After the Hillcats (4-1, 1-0 Heartland Conference) were awarded a free kick from the top of the box, Gonzalez calmly struck a shot with his left foot that went far post and beat the Chap goalkeeper for the 1-0 golden goal win in the 99th minute.
RSU controlled the play of the game throughout the 99 minutes, but couldn't find the back of the net until the overtime winner. The Cats put pressure on early with four shots and three corner kicks in the opening 17 minutes. In the first half, the navy and red held the majority of the possession in the LCU half. For the first 45 minutes, RSU outshot the Chaps, 10-3.
In the second half, the Cats continued to push forward and dictate play. Freshman Jesus Ramirez, who was making his first start in the navy and red tonight, had a golden opportunity in the 47th minute, but his shot in front was denied by LCU's goalkeeper Parker O'quinn. The Hillcats doubled the Chaps in shots by a 10-5 margin in the second half.
Junior Kevin Kwarteng nearly scored on a laser strike, but his shot in the 89th minute hit the right post to keep the game scoreless.
Although the score was only 1-0, the Hillcats held control of the game throughout the 99 minutes. For the contest, RSU posted 24 shots, including eight on goal. The Chaps totaled nine shots with most of those chances from long range outside the box. LCU put only one shot on goal all game and Cody Gammill made a diving routine save on the attempt.
Gammill, who was named the Heartland Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, went the full 98 minutes and 52 seconds in goal, earning the win. He made the one save and moved to 3-0 on the season. All three wins came in shutouts as he hasn't allowed a goal this season in 270 minutes of action.
The Hillcats conclude their two-game home stretch on Saturday (Sept. 16) with UT Permian Basin at 12 p.m. at Soldier Field. Live stats and video streaming will be available on the Hillcat Network.
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