BRUNSWICK — Freshman Zach Danssaert scored a rebound goal off an Eddie Jones free kick with just one second left in the first sudden-death overtime to give the Bowdoin College men’s soccer team a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Middlebury in the NCAA Regional final today.
With the win, the team’s school-record 16th, the Polar Bears advance to their first Final Four, to be held in San Antonio Dec. 3-4.
The victory also serves as sweet revenge for the Polar Bears, who lost 2-0 in the regular season to the Panthers and on penalty kicks in the NESCAC Championship game, the only blemishes in a 16-1-3 season (the penalty kick loss is counted as a tie).
After falling behind on Brett Brazier’s goal in the 47th minute, Bowdoin mounted a furious rally that culminated in an unassisted Jones goal wih 8:14 remaining in regulation.
The teams played through most of an uneventful 10-minute overtime (with another to follow if necessary) until the Bears were awarded a free kick with 13 seconds left.
Jones took it from the left, Nick Powell got off a shot from the crease in the ensuing scrum, but it hit the left post and came out to Danssaert, who put it inside the post just before the final horn and bedlam.
“It was the climax of my life,” said Danssaert. “Nick hit the post, and I just followed it up.”
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