Rider’s upset bid falls short; Princeton drops epic shootout

AKRON, OHIO >> The Rider men’s soccer team’s upset bid came up just short.

David Egbo headed in the goahead goal with 6:47 remaining and Akron survived with a 3-1 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on a snowy Thursday night in which Broncs goalkeeper Pablo Gatinois was taken off on a stretcher after a scary collision with a teammate late in the first half.

Egbo opened the scoring for the Zips (11-6-2) with a leftfooted strike in the 51st minute, but Rider (10-10-1) equalized in the 78th minute through Pablo DeCastro’s terrific header.

It was DeCastro’s team-leading ninth goal on the year.

The tie only lasted six minutes until Egbo nodded home his 12th of the season. Marcel Zajac scored from the penalty spot in the 88th minute to book Akron’s passage to a secondround match against Syracuse.

The game was delayed around 25 minutes late in the first half after Gatinois collided with a teammate and fell hard to the ground. He remained on the grass until an ambulance arrived to take him off on a stretcher.

Garret Potter replaced Gatinois and finished with two saves.

The Broncs were making their third NCAA appearance in the last four years after they stormed to the MAAC title with five consecutive wins. MICHIGAN 1, PRINCETON 1 ANN ARBOR, MICH. >> Henry Mashburn stopped Danny Hampton’s penalty in the 14th round and the Wolverines advanced past the Tigers, 11-10, in a shootout following a 1-1 draw in the snow.

Jacob Schachner made a pair of saves in the shootout for Princeton, which had a chance to win twice, but had a kicks saved in the fifth and 12th rounds.

Benjamin Martin gave the Tigers (10-5-3) the lead late in the first half, but they couldn’t see it to the finish line and the Wolverines (12-5-3) Noah Kleedtke in the 75th minute.