Boxscore
LANGHORNE, PA - Philadelphia Biblical University's Men's Soccer team came into their match today against Colonial States Athletic Conference powerhouse Cabrini College needing a win to keep their CSAC playoff hopes alive, and that's exactly what they did.
After consecutive losses to CSAC opponents, Keystone and Immaculata, the Crimson Eagles needed to win out the rest of their conference matches to have a chance of making the playoffs. No easy task, considering the two sides they were up against are widely considered two of the best programs in the conference.
Last Thursday, PBU kept the dream alive by knocking off Centenary College 1-0. They kept their momentum going this past Saturday with a 2-1 win over non-conference Valley Forge Christian College.
Today, the biggest challenge arrived in the form of Cabrini College.
After 45 minutes, the challenge was even greater as Cabrini was up 2-0 and playoff hopes were fading fast.
Backed by a vocal and ever-growing crowd, otherwise known as the Crimson Thunder, PBU came into the 2nd half with an all-or-nothing attitude.
With their backs against the wall, PBU's junior forward Seth Mangum scored his 3rd goal of the season, beating the Cabrini goalkeeper on a breakaway. Mangum's goal was created by a beautiful left-footed pass from freshman Daniel Morrison that set the speedy striker in on goal.
With momentum on their side, PBU mounted the pressure even more and it would eventually pay off. Once again, Morrison would have a key role, as it was another Morrison pass that found sophomore Jeremy McAlack back post to knock home the game-tying goal.
A tie against Cabrini would be a great result on any day, but a tie wouldn't do here. The Crimson Eagles needed a win to stay in the playoff hunt. But if it was going to happen, it would have to come in overtime as the match ended in regulation time 2-2.
Both teams had their opportunities late on but neither team could break the deadlock after the first 10 minutes of extra time.
Midway through the 2nd overtime, and with time quickly fading, the comeback was made complete when Mangum once again beat his defender on the dribble, taking the ball end line and crossing for a grateful Gary Bruce to tap into the empty net, giving PBU a crucial 3-2 victory.
After pulling off two unlikely wins, PBU must now wait and see if they will make the playoffs. They will need some help in other results around the CSAC to determine if they're playoff bound.
PBU returns to the field this Thursday when they will take on Valley Forge Christian College in the semi-finals of the NCCAA East Region. The match kicks-off at 3pm.
The Men's Soccer team asks anyone coming to the game to bring a Non-Perishable item to contribute to the Canned Food Drive PBU is hosting in conjunction with the NCCAA post-season.
