PENSACOLA, Fla. – A draw with a Top-5 team is usually a result head coach
Brendan Connolly and the Bobcats would be pleased with.
But seeing a three-goal, first-half lead whittle away on self-inflicted mistakes left Jones College unhappy with a 3-3 result against Northeast (Neb.) Thursday night at the Pensacola State College Soccer Complex.
Jones (4-0-1) wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, with Lyle Hardisty finding the net off a header just 1:27 into the match. Mario Novaku set up the goal off a corner kick, giving the Bobcats an early 1-0 advantage.
The lead doubled in the 24th minute when Calvin Harrison scored at 23:09. Just four minutes later, Louie Fitzpatrick added another goal on a shifty move to dodge the keeper from outside the 18 as Jones surged ahead 3-0.
Northeast (3-0-2) (Neb.) began its comeback just before halftime. After a Bobcat foul in the box, Jochem Ostendorp converted a penalty kick at 43:25, cutting the deficit to 3-1 heading into the break.
The Hawks continued to chip away in the second half. Taishi Maeda scored in the 63rd minute off an assist from Marcus Bering, bringing Northeast within one at 3-2. Maeda headed in Bering's throw-in when it bounced untouched over the head of two Bobcats in the box.
The equalizer came at 78:23, when Malthe Seest Sorensen found the back of the net on a free kick to complete the three-goal comeback and make it 3-3. The goal was set up by another Bobcat mistake, a foul just outside the box.
Jones keeper Logan Correro made perhaps the save of the match with under :30 seconds to play when he stopped a point-blank 1v1 attempt to preserve the tie.
Jones finished with 11 shots, putting seven on target, while Northeast recorded 19 shots and 10 shots on goal. Correro made a season-high seven saves -- all in the second half -- while Hawks keeper Jayden Quemada stopped four shots.
Novaku played a key role in Jones' offensive start, recording two assists, while Hardisty, Harrison and Fitzpatrick each scored once.
Jones wraps up non-conference play next week at Enterprise State (Sept. 8) and home against Dyersburg State (Sept. 10).
Tickets for all Jones home games can be purchased for $8 online at jcbobcats.com/tickets or $10/11 cash/card at the entrance.
