Billikens men’s soccer has ended after a 2-1 double-overtime loss to No. 10 Charlotte. The Bills (6-10-1, 4-5 A-10) concluded their season afterfacing ups and downs. The Bills came into the game with an outside chance of making the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament, but they ended their season on a sour note.
Robbie Kristo scored in the 26th minute. Nick Maglasang started the scoring play when he banged a drive off the Bills Alex Johnston on a free kick. Kristo gathered the rebound and fired into the upper right section of the goal.
The score remained 1-0 until Charlotte’s Aidan Kirkbride scored his first goal of the season in the 55th minute. Bills goalkeeper Nick Shackelford, who recorded 10 saves on the night, kept it a 1-1 game with several amazing saves near the end of regulation. The score remained 1-1 until the second overtime.
Kirkbride, however, buried the game winner off a corner kick five minutes into the second overtime to lift Charlotte to the victory.
It was the third double-overtime loss of the season for the Bills and their second straight double-overtime loss after losing to Xavier last Sunday.
The Bills’ had a rollercoaster season. They beat nationally ranked Notre Dame and South Florida, which were two of the high points of the season, and they also won three straight conference games.
However, the Bills also had their low points this season. The Bills lost three straight games. Two of those were at the open of the conference season, followed by the Akron game where the Bills lost 4-0. Then they lost two straight games in double overtime to conclude their season and missed the A-10 conference tournament.
Injuries also plagued the Bills this year. Alex Sweetin missed the season with a partially torn ligament in his leg, and Mike Roach missed a few key games with a hamstring injury.
The Bills will lose five seniors and a few key contributors. Mike Roach, Alex Johnston, Chadd Vandergriffe, Blake Schneider and Beau Bellomy have all played their final games as Bills. Roach had 8 points this season with 2 goals and 4 assists, and Roach concluded his career with 14 goals and 9 assists. Johnston had 1 goal and 1 assist this season, and he concluded his career with 6 goals and 6 assists.
While the Bills will lose these veterans , the Bills have some positive building blocks to build on for next year.
Freshman forward Robbie Kristo burst onto the scene with 6 goals and 2 assists this season, and freshman midfielder Raymond Lee finished the season with 4 goals and 1 assist. Kristo led the team in points, and Lee was second. Freshman midfielder William Hidlago contributed 2 goals and 3 assists, and freshman midfielder Kingsley Bryce contributed 2 goals and 1 assist.
The four freshmen certainly have bright futures with the Bills soccer squad.
Sophomore goalkeeper Nick Shackelford ends the season with 19 goals against, a 1.28 goal against average, 75 saves and a .798 save percentage. Shackelford only had one shutout all season, but he made some incredible saves to keep the Bills in the games this season. Shackelford’s save percentage was fourth in the A-10.
The Bills have a bright future but a dismal and disappointing present as their bumpy season came to a tragic end against Charlotte.
