Rader’s Overtime Goal Lifts TU to League Win
UPLAND, Ind. – On the verge of the match ending in a draw, senior Jeremiah Rader scored with just over a minute remaining in the second overtime to lift Taylor to a 1-0 victory over Marian on Wednesday night.
With the clock ticking down in the 109th minute, the Knights (6-5-1, 2-3 CL) were called for a high kick just outside of their own goal, which warranted a free kick for the Trojans (4-7-1, 1-3-1 CL). Junior Michael Maloney took the free kick and tapped it a couple inches to Rader, who lofted the ball over the large wall of defenders and hit the upper-right 90, securing the team’s first Crossroads League win of the season. Rader now has three goals for the year and Maloney has two assists.
Before the excitement of the last-minute netter, TU had a couple chances to put points on the board. In the 73rd minute, freshmen Owen Hardy and Paul McBride beat the Marian defenders and had the goalie to beat, but neither took charge on the ball and tripped each other up, allowing the goalie to knock the ball away and keep the score in a gridlock.
In the opening minute of the second overtime, freshman Luke Holwerda pushed a header just over the crossbar, coming inches away from his first-career game-winner.
The Trojans had a 14-11 shot advantage and place four on-goal, compared to Marian’s five on-target. Junior Josiah Wieland led the team with four shots, while McBride added three. Rader ended the night with one shot and snapped a two-match skid without a goal.
On the other end of the pitch, junior Luke Williams kept the Purple and Gold alive with a last-second save. Regulation was in its final seconds and the Knights beat TU’s backline and were one-on-one with Williams, but was able to make a sliding save to preserve the tie and send the match into overtime. Williams made five saves while in goal and now has 19 saves in his last two appearances and has 50 for the year.
This is Taylor’s first overtime win since defeating Grace 1-0 on Oct. 1, 2016, a game in which Rader had the assist on the game-winner. TU has now won two straight matches against the Knights.
Saint Francis (4-6-3, 1-2-2 CL) visits on Saturday for a 6:00 p.m. league match. The team’s six seniors will be recognized before the showdown.