EDWARDSVILLE – Alex Segura's fourth goal of the year, just 1:44 into the first overtime period lifted SIUE men's soccer to a 2-1 win over Central Arkansas Tuesday at Korte Stadium.

The Cougars picked up their second consecutive win and improved to 4-6-2 overall. Central Arkansas fell to 8-4 overall.

Segura took a pass from Sam Layton, spun near the top of the box and fired a low shot, which was deflected by UCA goalkeeper Vincent Sanchis before slipping inside the post for the game-winner. Segura leads the team with four goals and nine points overall.

Neither team found the net in the first 80 minutes of the game when Alex Pontoni put the Cougars ahead with his third goal of the game. Central Arkansas responded with the game-tying goal just 15 seconds later.

"We're thrilled to win the game, but what I was most proud of was after a huge moment of adversity, even before overtime, our guys stayed composed, they kept playing, stuck to the plan and we bounced back quickly," SIUE Head Coach Cale Wassermann said. "Those moments of adversity are going to come in every game, and you have to have the mental fortitude to play through that stuff."

Each team finished with seven total shots. Central Arkansas managed four shots on goal. SIUE goalkeeper Tor Erik Larsen turned away three of them.

SIUE returns to Missouri Valley Conference play Sunday with a game at 10^th-ranked Missouri State.

"Missouri State is the outright favorite in our conference, but I think we have some momentum," Wassermann said. "Early on we were finding ways to hurt ourselves, or our opponents were finding ways to beat us. We're finding ways now to win the tough ones. Drake and UCA were tough matches and a lot of different guys stepped up in big moments."

 

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