Chambersburg, PA – A penalty kick in the 80th minute for Wilson broke a 3-3 tie and gave Wilson a 4-3 victory over the Cairn Highlanders in a high-scoring, back-and-forth contest on Tuesday afternoon. Zack Nelson and Brendan Keller each connected for the Highlanders, but it wasn't enough as Cairn fell as a result of the late goal.
 
The Highlanders got their first shot off of the match in the fourth minute off the foot of Zach Nelson but it was turned away by the Wilson keeper, Dan Perry. The rebound from that shot came right back to Nelson in the middle of the six and he put it past Perry to give the Highlanders an early 1-0 lead.
 
Wilson had their first dangerous stretch in the 10th minute when Carson Tanger hit the crossbar and Justin Vizzi put a shot on frame that was saved by Mark Heater in goal. After Cairn's Joey Weaver had a shot saved the Phoenix continued their attack on goal firing three more shots in a three-minute stretch. In the 15th minute, Shane Ray took the third of these attempts with a rip from the right-side, just a step inside the box and connected to tie the game at 1-1.
 
In the 23rd minute, on Wilson's very next shot, they connected for another goal this one off the foot of Raihan Azim from outside the 18 on the right side.
 
The next 15 minutes were primarily fought in the midfield, however each team had opportunities. Nelson got a shot off in the 25th minute, but it sailed high of the bar. In the 32nd minute Mark Heater made a save off a header by Wilson, but he could not make the save on a shot from Aaron Russ in the 40th minute. Russ put through a cross sent into the box by Azim from the left side. The goal by Russ put the Phoenix up 3-1 with just five minutes left in the half.
 
Trailing 3-1 into the half, the Highlanders came out firing to start the second-half. In the 48th minute Connor Eby had a shot ricochet off the crossbar that Brendan Keller headed through to give the Highlanders their second goal of the match and cut the deficit in half to 3-2.
 
Now trailing by just a goal the Highlanders pushed for the equalizer.  After a pair of shots and a corner kick in the 55th minute, the Highlanders had another opportunity  in the 62nd minute with another corner kick. Keller played the corner into the box and in the scramble, Wilson ended up putting it in the back of their own net to tie the game at 3-3.
 
The Highlanders continued to pressure, firing four more shots and forcing Wilson to make three saves to keep the score tied. In the 80th minute a handball in the box gave Wilson an opportunity to take the lead with a penalty kick. Raiham Azim stepped up put home the penalty kick to give the Phoenix a 4-3 lead.
 
Cairn accumulated three shots over the final ten minutes but Wilson kept them off the board and the Phoenix earned the 4-3 victory.
 
Cairn outshot Wilson 18-13 in the game and put 10 shots on goal against the Phoenix's eight.
 
Cairn next takes the field on Saturday when they host Central Pennsylvania College at 4:00 p.m.