ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. – The East Coast Conference men's soccer semifinal between Roberts Wesleyan University and host Molloy University was expected to be a close match.
It could not have been any closer.
The fourth-seeded Roberts Redhawks pushed the top-seeded Lions to the limit and then some, playing to a 3-3 tie after 110 minutes of back-and-forth soccer before defending champion Molloy eventually advanced 5-4 on penalty kicks.
"I am really proud of the boys, I could not have asked anything more of them," Roberts coach Scott Reber said. "The guys left everything on the field."
Junior Tamas Nagy recorded his first career hat trick for Roberts (7-4-6), scoring goals in the 20^th, 54^th and 99^th minutes. His third goal gave the Redhawks a 3-2 lead with 51 seconds remaining in the first of two 10-minute overtimes.
Molloy, which rallied from a 2-0 deficit late in regulation, benefited from a deflection off a cross late and scored with 1:28 left in the second overtime to send the match to penalty kicks.
Dylan Ruiz, Marc-Anthony Blackburn, Hunter Salisbury and Nagy all converted for Roberts, but Molloy went a perfect 5-for-5 on PKs to secure a spot in Sunday's ECC Championship.
Nagy opened the scoring in the 20^th minute, taking a pass from Justin Robertson and finishing a left-footed shot from six yards out.
Ruiz showed tremendous hustle by chasing down a loose ball in the corner and eluding three defenders to set up Nagy's second goal from about 15 yards away in the 54^th minute.
Nagy's third goal of the game and team-leading 11^th of the season came after Ruiz made a run down the middle of the field and sent the ball wide to Nagy, who side-stepped the keeper and slid it into the open net.
Senior Jared Gibbons was credited with three saves, including a clutch stop with Roberts in front 3-2 with 4:20 remaining in regulation.
The Redhawks, who were looking to make their first ECC Championship match appearance, will now await word on a possible berth in the National Christian College Athletic Association tournament.
"As tough as this is and as gutted as the guys are now, we are taking steps forward as a program," Reber said. "We will take a couple of days off and prepare for whatever is next."