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WEST HAVEN, Conn. – An overtime game-winner from sophomore Francisco Guedes (Lisbon, Portugal/Maristas de Carcavelos) vaulted the Chargers men's soccer team to a thrilling 3-2 overtime win against Saint Michael's on Saturday at Kathy Zolad Stadium. Graduate student Kledis Capollari (Pogradec, Albania/Guilderland) and sophomore Alvaro Ezpeleta (Vigo, Spain/Colegio Amor de Dios) assisted on the game winner in the 95th minute action. Freshman Jon Calvo (Vitoria, Spain/Olabide Ikastola) picked up the first two points of his collegiate career with a goal and an assist in the win. Senior goalkeeper Stefano Lorusso (Auckland, New Zealand/Sacred Heart College) made four saves, including a key leaping save in overtime to earn the victory.

After both team exchanged several quality chances over the opening thirty minutes of play, the Chargers (4-6-1, 2-4-1 NE10) were able to break through when Viruet netted his third goal of the season with a shot into the middle of the net after taking a pass ahead from Calvo for the 1-0 lead in the 31st minute.

The Purple Knights (3-7-2, 0-6-2) kept the Chargers off the board with two defensive saves on opportunities in front from Ezpeleta in the 23rd minute and Imanol Ruiz (Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain/Sagrado Corazon Carmelitas) in the 31st minute.

Saint Michael's drew even in the 38th minute, coming directly off a corner kick, when the ball was served in from the corner and hooked across into the top left corner of the net to even the score 1-1.

New Haven regained the lead in the 69th minute off a bomb from Calvo, who took a loose ball and quickly let go an arcing shot from over 40 yards out at the line at the edge of the offensive zone, sending it over the keeper's head just under the bar for the goal that put New Haven up 2-1.

However, Saint Michael's netted the equalizer just 36 seconds later, getting a takedown in the box to draw a penalty kick, which was deposited into the bottom right corner of the goal to tie the score.

The Chargers nearly retook the lead with a golden opportunity in the 73rd minute when Pappalardo drilled the left post on a shot from the edge of the box, and David Peteri (Rotterdam, Netherlands/Erasmiaans Gymnasium) was robbed on the rebound as the keeper made a sprawling save from a sitting position.

Saint Michael's counted in the fourth minute of overtime with a long shot from outside the box that had to be tipped over the top by Lorusso to keep the Chargers alive.

New Haven sent the crowd home happy just over 40 seconds later as Ezpeleta carried the ball towards midfield before threading a pass ahead to the right where Capollari collected it. Capollari then found Guedes open behind a defender at the top of the box, and Guedes did the rest by taking the pass, stepping up and drilling the shot low past the keeper into the middle of the net for the golden goal.

The Chargers will travel to Franklin Pierce for their next game on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.