THE BASICS:

Score: American 1, Holy Cross 0

Records: Holy Cross (5-8-4, 2-4-2 Patriot League); American (12-4-2, 5-2-1 Patriot League)

Location: Worcester, Mass. (Linda Johnson Smith Soccer Stadium)

Date: Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015

Time: 1:05 p.m.

The Lead: Dale Ludwig scored the game winner in double-overtime off a corner kick from Joe Iraola for the Eagles as the Holy Cross men's soccer team fell to American, 1-0, in Patriot League action on Sunday afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Crusaders had the first scoring opportunities of the game when senior Eddie Viscount (Smithtown, N.Y.) had two headers, the first hitting the post in the 21st minute and the second was headed towards the top right side of the net, but goalie Dylan Hobert jumped up and made the save in the 22nd minute.
• In the 29th minute, Kibu Mbaluku almost scored for the Eagles but his shot hit the post.
• In the 34th minute the Eagles took their first shot on goal but the attempt by Ludwig was saved by senior captain goalie Kevin Wright (McKinney, Texas).
• Going into the second half, the score was 0-0 as Wright made two saves and Hobert made made one.
• The game started to heat up when Viscount blasted a shot at Hobert who saved it but lost the grip of the ball causing a rebound that sophomore Arno Rupp (Wolfsberg, Austria) sent to the net, but Jordan Manley headed it out preventing the goal at 51:15. The Eagles then carried the ball up the field and 40 seconds later, at 51:55, Ludwig shot from 18 yards out and Wright punched it out of the frame of the goal.
• The Crusaders worked hard to get on the board as senior Diego Ceron (Belleville, N.J.) blasted a shot from 18 yards out which was saved by Hobert in the 67th minute.
• In the 68th minute, sophomore Brad Ross (Nashville, Tenn.) had a one-timer out of the air eight yards out which was stopped by Hobert.
• In the 80th minute, Ludwig had a header off a corner kick and Wright jumped to the left corner of the goal and snatched the ball keeping the score 0-0.
• The game then went into overtime and the first shot was by Ross which whizzed past the defense but was ultimately saved by Hobert in the 92nd minute.
• The game ended when American had a corner kick and Iraola crossed the ball to Ludwig who snuck it past Wright with just 3:09 left in the second overtime period, giving American the 1-0 victory.

KOOLMAN ON THE GAME:

• “In tight games like this, the chances are limited so if you get an opportunity, you have to finish it,” said Holy Cross head coach Marco Koolman. “We had a great chance in the first overtime period but American made a good save. And in the second overtime they took advantage of their opportunity and that was the difference in the game. That's the way the game is.”

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Both goalies were outstanding in net as Wright made seven saves and Hobert posted six.
• Holy Cross and American both had 15 shots while the Eagles took eight shots on goal and the Crusaders had seven.
• The Crusaders had five corner kicks while American had seven.

SENIOR DAY:

• Before todays game seniors Ceron, Eddie Gibbons (Bellport, N.Y.), Viscount, Luke Melody (Mansfield, Conn.) and Wright were recognized for their hard work and dedication to the team over the last four years.
• Ceron has has played in 52 career games with 44 starts. He has one goal and eight assists for 10 career points. As a junior and senior, Ceron has been second on the team in assists with four each season.
• Gibbons has played in 61 career games with 43 starts. He has posted one career assist. Gibbons just recently won the Luke Dunivant Award which is presented annually to a member of the men's soccer team who has inspired others by displaying outstanding courage, commitment to the team and sportsmanship during his career. Gibbons has demonstrated his strong leadership skills as a three-year member of the Holy Cross Leadership Academy and a 360 Leader as a senior.
• Viscount has played in 60 career games with 20 starts. He has totaled four goals and three assists for 11 points. He netted his first collegiate goal with the game-winner in the 1-0 win versus Army in 2012. Viscount has been named the Crusader of the Week twice in his career.
• Melody has played in 65 games with 61 starts. He has played in the most games of any current player on the team. Melody has posted four goals and one assist for nine career points. As a sophomore in 2013, he earned third team All-Patriot League honors. Melody has shown his strong leadership abilities by being selected as a team captain twice. He is also a three-year member of the Holy Cross Leadership Academy and is a 360 leader as a senior.
• Wright has played in 64 career games with 61 starts. As a sophomore in 2013, Wright was named to the Patriot League All-Tournament team along with winning ECAC Defensive Player of the Week and Patriot League Goalie of the Week honors. Wright's 0.78 goals against average this season is second all-time in program history, while his 1.21 career goals against average is third all-time. He is also a two-time captain and a three-year member of the Holy Cross Leadership Academy. Wright is a 360 leader this year.

UP NEXT:

• The Crusaders will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 7 when they play Patriot League opponent Loyola (Md.) in Baltimore, Md. at 1:00 p.m., in the regular season finale.

KEEP CONNECTED:

• There are numerous ways to stay connected with the Holy Cross men's soccer team. Follow the Crusaders on Twitter @HCrossMSoccer, on Facebook and on Instagram. You can also get the latest news and results on the team sent directly to your e-mail. To sign up for e-mail alerts go here.