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Knights pick up impressive 3-2 overtime victory at SUNY Delhi on Labor Day; Akawor nets game-winner

Knights pick up impressive 3-2 overtime victory at SUNY Delhi on Labor Day; Akawor nets game-winner

Harold Akawor notched a goal three minutes into overtime to help the Berkeley College New York men's soccer team (2-1 Overall, 1-0 HVIAC) pick up an exhilarating 3-2 Labor Day victory over the Broncos of SUNY Delhi (1-2 Overall) in Delhi, NY. The win was the second consecutive triumph for the Knights, who pushed to over .500 for the first time since September 17 of last season.

The Broncos struck first in this contest, as Estafano Correia received a pass from Ryan Hennessy before burying the ball past Berkeley College netminder Gustavo Moreno to give his team a 1-0 lead. 21 minutes later, the Knights tied the game when Essofi Amine notched an unassisted goal. Both team's defenses were solid for the remainder of the session following Amine's tally, as the Knights and Broncos found themselves deadlocked in a 1-1 tie as time expired on the first half.

Seven minutes into the second period, SUNY Delhi's Ricardi Basso notched a goal on a penalty kick to put his team back on top, 2-1. Seven minutes later, it was Knights' newcomer Victor Marrotta getting a penalty kick opportunity, and he cashed in on that by blasting the ball past Broncos goalkeeper Ryan Hennessy to even the game at two goals apiece. Neither team was able to break the tie in the final 31 minutes of regulation, as the contest headed to overtime.

Three minutes into the extra session, Knights sensation Harold Akawor scored an unassisted goal to win the game, as Berkeley College's bench erupted in celebration. Following the glorious win, Head Coach Stavros Zomopoulos gave his thoughts.

"This is a "character" building victory for our club," Zomopoulos said. "A victory of this nature can definitely set a tone for our season. We have a great combination of seasoned veterans and hungry newcomers on this team, and with more players set to join our club this week, I feel as though we will only continue to get stronger and better. I am very proud of our performance here today."

Berkeley College will have Tuesday off before returning to the field Wednesday evening, as the Knights will host the Bears of St. Joseph's College at Aviator Field in Brooklyn, NY. Start-time for that contest is scheduled for 7:30pm.