CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – A penalty kick in the final minute helped the Pioneers (9-2-1) force overtime and come away with a 3-3 draw against DeSales (9-1-1) in non-conference action Wednesday.
 
Sophomore Keysean Brant-Sharp (East Brunswick, N.J./East Brunswick) had a big game for the Pioneers, scoring once and adding an assist while creating multiple opportunities throughout the match. Freshman Christopher Fuentes (Red Bank, N.J./Red Bank Regional) notched his second career goal, while senior JP Gonzales (Paterson, N.J./Passaic County Tech) deposited the tying goal in the final minute to force extra time. Fellow senior Tim Morris (Stony Point, N.Y./Albertus Magnus) was solid in goal, making eight saves on the day.  
 
 
The first half was a defensive struggle for both sides as the two squads felt each other out for the opening 25 minutes. The Pioneers finished the opening stanza with a 7-4 advantage in the shot category and a 3-2 edge in shots on goal, but neither goalkeeper was heavily tested, and the teams entered the halftime break deadlocked at 0-0.
 
The Bulldogs finally broke through in the 55th minute when a bouncing through ball was collected and carried into the box by Javaughn Hussett who eventually found Michael Kirby on the back post for the game's opening tally. Just moments later, Brant-Sharp had the response as he showed off some fancy footwork by dribbling through a pack of defenders at the top of the box and finished from the left side to give the Pioneers the equalizer and break the Bulldogs' streal of 627:10 without conceding a goal.
 
In the 63rd minute Brant-Sharp received a ball on the left side of the box again, but this time his shot rang off the post and ricocheted right to DeSales goalkeeper Dan Sulpizio to end the threat. With just under 17 minutes remaining, the Bulldogs were awarded a penalty kick and a chance to retake the lead. Morris guessed correctly on the shot, and got to the ball low on his right side, but the shot deflected off his hands and just inside the left post to give DeSales the 2-1 advantage late.
 
Despite falling behind, the Pioneers again had the response just moments later. Brant-Sharp again proved to be the playmaker Wednesday, this time finding Fuentes with a cross from just outside the penalty area and the freshman got just enough with the header to deflect it back towards the left post and into the side netting to level the score once more, 2-2.
 
With just under 13 minutes remaining, DeSales drew a foul at midfield and Sulpizio set up the offense up field and prepared to take the ensuing free kick. Lofting a ball into the box, the free kick landed in a group of players and after bouncing around, came to the feet of a Bulldog who buried a shot inside the right post to again take the lead, 3-2. The Pioneers had a final push left in them however. With under thirty seconds left on the clock, WP gathered possession and quickly pushed the tempo towards goal. With 16 seconds remaining, senior Dante Petrocelli (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury) was taken down just inside the penalty area and the Pioneers were awarded a penalty kick with a chance to force overtime. Gonzales buried the PK for the second consecutive game in the top left corner to tie the game at the end of regulation.
 
In the overtime periods, many balls found their way into the penalty areas, but neither team could push one across the goal line. The Pioneers earned a free kick with six seconds remaining, but Gonzales shot from 28 yards out hit the wall as time expired.
 
 William Paterson returns to action Saturday when they host Kean University in conference action beginning at 1:00 p.m.
 
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