Box Score SEARCY, Ark. — The smiles were big and bright and the voices were loud late Thursday night as
Hajime Chumpitaz scored the game-winning goal for Southern Nazarene with less than five minutes left to give SNU a 4-3 win over Harding.
The junior laced a 22-yard strike on a free kick that ripped inside the left post and gave the Crimson Storm (2-14, 2-6 MIAA) the one goal lead in the 86
th minute. Chumpitaz's team-leading seventh goal of the season was one of four goals scored by four different players. In fact, all seven goals scored between both teams were all scored by different players.
Harding actually took the first lead of the game and did it quick with just one second left in the 11
th minute, but the Crimson Storm answered in the 22
nd minute when
Victor Oliveira scored his first goal of the season off a Chumpitaz assist to knot it at 1-1.
Aziz Tapsoba then scored his fourth goal of the season in the 34
th minute when Oliveira set the sophomore up with a cross and Tapsoba headed it in and gave the Storm a 2-1 lead heading into the half.
The Bisons (4-9-3, 2-5-1 MIAA) tied it again in the 64
th minute, but SNU got back out in front in the 75
th minute on a
Daniel Hernandez Jr. goal. It was Chumpitaz again who served the leading cross off a free kick and Hernandez put it away to give the Storm a 3-2 lead. Harding created even more tension when it answered three minutes later to tie it in the 79
th minute.
Then came Chumpitaz's rip from 22 yards out to seal the game.
Harding made
Blake Anderson work as it took 15 shots and put six on goal and forced the senior goalkeeper to make two saves. Southern Nazarene put five of its 12 shots on frame.
The Crimson Storm are down to just two games left in the season and get set to head to No. 19 Northeastern State for a 7 p.m. MIAA match.