The Bruin faithful stormed the field in celebration as Charlie Barkman scored a golden goal in double overtime to lift Bob Jones University past rival Pensacola Christian College 1-0 on Saturday night at Alumni Stadium. With the win, the Bruins improve to 3-1-1 on the season and a perfect 3-0 in region play.
"We knew this was going to be a tough game," Bruins Head Coach Matt Hotchkin. "Already this season Pensacola has had a great season and they were last year's national champions at our level. They are well coached and they have a great group of guys. I still don't think our guys realize how good we can be. We need to keep our momentum going."
The Bruins came into the match on the heels of a 6-0 victory last Saturday against Trinity Baptist College. They knew they would be in for a tough test as they welcomed PCC who came in having defeated Toccoa Falls College 5-0 on Thursday.
In the history of the rivalry, the Bruins had defeated Pensacola only once and looked to end a five-game losing streak as they took the pitch in front of their hometown fans.
As the match began, both teams came out looking to maintain possession and establish the pace of play. It took a while for both teams to settle into their rhythm as the first shot wasn't registered until nearly six minutes into the match.
The play went back and forth as both teams looked to gain the upperhand. As a result, play took a turn for the physical with several cautions being awarded throughout. Despite several chances in the opening half, the two teams went into halftime tied 0-0.
In the second half, the Bruins came out with good energy and were able to move the ball effectively in the attacking third. The Bruins got their best chance of the night as Victor Oladipo made a nice move to get past the defense and headed on a breakaway towards goal. His shot beat the keeper but rolled just wide of the post as the match remained scoreless.
With each passing minute, the Bruins and Eagles continued to battle with each trying to break the scoreless draw. The final buzzer sent the game to overtime with one goal to decide the winner.
In the first overtime, the Bruins and Eagles exchanged chances with both teams balancing their attack with strong defensive play. The Eagles nearly won the match as Leo Zumpano bent a beautiful shot toward the goal. Bruins' keeper Chris Monczewski was an incredible save to tap it to the side and keep the Eagles off the board. Still, the score remained tied at 0-0 as the buzzer signaled one more overtime period before a draw.
As the second overtime period got underway, both teams showed signs of fatigue but were determined to play to the final whistle. After a foul, the Bruins found themselves with an opportunity for a free kick just past midfield. Midfielder Charlie Barkman came on the approach and sent a ball deep towards the opposite post. Eagles' keeper David Cuevas misplayed the ball as it rolled past him and into the back of the net for the golden goal.
"We wanted to get the monkey off our back," Coach Hotchkin said. "Not just to beat Pensacola but we had lost a lot of games late both last season and this season. I'm impressed with our guys. This was a game we really needed to win and show ourselves what we are capable of."
The Bruins outshot the Eagles 17-13 in the match, including a 10-3 on goal margin. Charlie Barkman netted his first goal of the season for the Bruins while Chris Monczewski picked up the clean sheet with three saves on the night.
Next up, the Bruins will be on the road on Thursday for another region matchup as they face Johnson University (FL) in Kissimmee, Florida.
