Manasse Scores Game Winner
Nahayo Manasse (Syracuse, NY) turned into the Spartan hero today...when he scored the game winner in a thrilling come back at Emerson Park.
The Spartan men found themselves down 2-0 at half time, with Alfred State scoring in the 8th and 14th minute. Just after half time, Alfred State went ahead 3-0 on a free kick past Cayuga goalkeeper Sean Dockrell (Dublin, Ireland) in the 51st minute. The Spartan men didn't give up, and fought hard to get back into the game. It was Jaime Carolissen (Cape Town, South Africa) who opened the scoring in the 65th minute, with the assist from Bruno Gaudie-Ley (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), who took a shot low that Carolissen knocked home starting the Spartan rally.
Elias Owusu (Brooklyn, NY) scored the second in the 71st minute with another assist coming from Gaudie-Ley. Gaudie-Ley was involved again in the third goal, as he was taken down in the box by an Alfred State defender. Captain Will Backhouse (Swindon, England) stepped up to score his second goal of the season on the PK…which made it 3-3 with 10 minutes to go in the game. In the last minutes of the game the Spartan rally was finalized on a score from Nahayo Manasse (Syracuse, NY). Carolissen played a through ball over the top for Manasse to run onto, and he placed it over the oncoming keeper to make it 4-3.
It was an amazing comeback by the Spartans. Coach Wynne had this to say after the game, "I thought it was the worst first half we played so far, and every player knew that as they walked off the field at half. I mentioned it to them and told them it takes heart, courage and a truck load of Spartan pride to come back from 2-0. I thought we could comeback, but after the third goal went in, I wasn't so sure. When we scored the first, I felt a comeback was in the cards, and I was right. After the game I said to the players that I was proud of them and they deserved the win." The Spartans move to a 5-2-2 overall record and in the region. They face Erie Community College on Tuesday 10/4 at 4:30pm at Emerson Field.