Late Essex goal forges tie, foils New Kent bid to reverse losses

New Kent's Josiah Schlosser leaps to control the ball in front of Essex's Brandon Owens.

Alan Chamberlain photo

Protecting a 2-1 lead and with time rapidly running out, chances for New Kent’s host Trojans ending a two-match soccer losing streak brightened with every second ticking off the clock. A last minute Essex goal, however, denied the hosts a victory celebration.

Essex’s Camden Hilton scored off a corner kick with just under a minute left in regulation to forge a 2-2 deadlock. Two subsequent overtime periods failed to resolve Wednesday night’s affair, which went into the record books as a tie.

“I feel like my guys played a clean game,” said first-year New Kent coach Keith Grant, whose team emerged from the home opener with a 2-2-1 record.

“[Essex] was very physical with us,” he said. “I feel like the calls could go both ways, but I’m happy with my guys. They played tough.”

And they dominated for most of the first half. Nearing the 23-minute mark, Jonathan Bottoms took a pass from Josue Benitez, driving the ball under a diving save attempt by Essex keeper Ray Rector to put New Kent up 1-0.

Bottoms struck again with eight minutes left before halftime, this time on a Nate Cook assist to hammer a shot past Rector for a 2-0 lead. But Essex, which had managed only three shots to that point, unleashed five in the waning minutes. New Kent keeper Justin Cox stopped four, but one, off the foot of Leo Ayala, caromed into the net off Cox’s hands cutting the halftime margin to 2-1.

Essex owned a 7-2 shots on goal edge in a scoreless second half. Cox, meanwhile, stopped two shots, upping his save total to seven for the game.

“Justin made some great saves in goal,” said his coach.

New Kent regained control in overtime. Essex could not generate a shot in either of the two five-minute extra periods.

The hosts’ Joey Clark came closest to breaking the deadlock, twice. Driving past Essex defender Edwin Mesa midway through the second OT, Clark launched an uncontested shot, but the ball sliced right of the goal. Another defender cleared the ball, but in Clark’s direction. His second attempt at the win sailed high.

With 30 seconds to go, New Kent defender Josiah Schlosser preserved the tie, beating Ayala to a loose ball directly in front of the hosts’ goal before dribbling out of trouble.

For the match, Essex took 14 shots on goal while New Kent launched nine.