DUDLEY, Mass. - Senior Alberto Benhamu (Caracas, Venezuela) scored 1:28 into the second overtime session to lift the Wentworth Institute of Technology men's soccer team to a 3-2 win over defending Commonwealth Coast Conference champion Nichols on Saturday afternoon.
Winners of four straight the Leopards improve to 10-3 overall and 3-2 in CCC play. The 10 wins mark the first time since the 2009 season the Black & Gold have reached double digits in victories. With the loss the Bison fall to 7-7 (3-2).
At the 19:08 mark, sophomore Michael Zendan (Charlotte, N.C.) gave the Leopards a 1-0 lead when he tallied his third marker of the season off a blocked shot by a Nichols defender. Just over three minutes later Zendan helped the visitors increase their lead to 2-0 when he fed a pass to classmate Matt Cicalis (Bridgewater, Mass.). Cicalis' shot attempt went over the defense and into the upper right part of the net.
Nichols cut the lead to 2-1 in the 34th minute when a corner kick was deflected by a Leopard defender to junior Ryan Banker (Ashaway, R.I.). Banker headed the ball past freshman Matthew Sekerak(Winthrop, Maine).
Shortly after the hosts had made it a one-goal game, Wentworth nearly increased its lead to 3-1, however freshman Noah Martins' (Dartmouth, Mass.) shot hit the post.
With 2:27 left in the half, the Bison would tie the game off a goal from senior Tiago Prazeres (West Hartford, Conn.), who fired a shot through the Leopard defense which was deflected in.
In the second half Wentworth, which had a 15-5 shot advantage at the break, continued to apply pressure and hit a post and a crossbar while also putting six shots on net. In the 88th minute the Leopards had a corner kick, however could not covert.
The first overtime saw the Leopards have a 4-2 shot advantage, including when sophomore Joe Kalil (Franklin, Mass.) nearly ended it with a header in the 97th minute and when Martins hit a post in the 100th minute.
Nichols would have its first shot attempt go high to open the second overtime before Benhamu ended the game. Cicalis fed a lass from the middle to the left side when Benhamu fired a shot past freshman Patrick Porpora (Westminster, Mass.).
Wentworth finished with a 33-16 shot advantage and a 5-3 edge on corner kicks. Sekerak made five saves while Porpora stopped 12 shots.
The Leopards host the University of New England on Saturday, October 17, at 3:30 p.m.
