Oct. 18, 2009
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA - Ryan Richter (Southampton, PA/William Tennent) scored twice on Sunday, including the equalizer to force overtime, as the Explorers played Richmond to a 3-3 tie after two overtimes. Colin Whalen (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle HS) assisted on two goals as well. The Explorers move to 4-7-3 overall, 0-2-2 in the Atlantic 10. The Spiders are now 3-7-2 overall (0-1-2 Atlantic 10).
Richter's four-point game included the game's opening score in the 20th minute and the tying goal with just 1:21 left in regulation. His first goal came on a pass from Whalen on the left side into the middle of the box, where Richter shot it low just past Spider keeper Brock Tomlinson.
Richmond's Russell Himelein tied the game at one each when he took a pass from Chase Johnston and launched it from about 20 yards out. The ball ricocheted just inside the left post.
The Spiders went up 2-1 in the 69th minute on a Brendon Cristobal goal. Colin Lincoln fed Cristobal the ball at the top of the box, who then kicked a line drive into the right side.
Glenroy Chapman (Sicklerville, NJ/St. Augustine) knotted the game at 2-2 in the 78th minute. Whalen took a corner kick which Chapman finished.
Richmond then gave the Explorer faithful a worry when the Spiders' Houston Oldham connected for an unassisted shot off of a direct kick at the 86:37 mark, but Richter scored at 88:39 to force overtime. Richter's goal was an unassisted shot that he one-timed into the net after intercepting the ball after Richmond cleared a previous Explorer shot.
The Explorers had a prime chance to end the game in regulation when Chapman took a shot that lined just over the crossbar with five seconds remaining.
The home team pelted Richmond with four shots on goal in the first overtime period, but Tomlinson was the difference as he came up with all four stops. Cristobal attempted to win it for the Spiders with 10 seconds left in the first overtime, but this time it was Explorer keeper Jim Clark (Southampton, PA/William Tennent) made the save.
Both squads also made opportunities for themselves in the second overtime as two La Salle shots went high and another was saved, while the Spiders shot three on goal with Clark making all three stops.
The Explorers dominated in shots taken with 24 to Richmond's 13, but the teams were even in corner kicks with six apiece. A rather chippy game especially late, the squads were whistled for a combined 26 fouls (13 each). The Explorers were called for four yellow cards and the Spiders picked up one shortly into the first overtime period.
Clark earned the decision in goal after starting for the first time in his young career. He made six saves, three of those in the second OT. Tomlinson was the keeper of record for Richmond, and made nine saves including four in the first OT.
The Explorers hit the road again this week when they head to Charlotte on Friday (10/23) for a 7:00 PM contest, and then at Saint Louis on Sunday (10/25) for a 2:00 PM ET start.
