Box Score PENSACOLA, Fla.—A brilliant bicycle kick goal by senior midfielder
Andrew Ballard (Memphis, Tenn., Briarcrest Christian HS) gave the Christian Brothers University Bucs a 4-3 win over West Alabama in the Gulf South Conference semifinals Friday morning at Brosnaham Park.The Bucs |
Watch the Video of Ballard's Goal |
Ballard's heroics, off a
Ralph Velasco (Rowlett, Texas/Rowlett HS) free kick in the middle of the field, saved the Bucs (10-7-1) after they squandered a 3-1 lead with 40 minutes remaining.
West Alabama (12-7) struck first in the 26th minute, when Clay Green won a loose ball in the midfield and bounced a shot in off the right post for the game's first goal. The Bucs equalized in the 38th minute, when
Yannick Skull (Adelaide, Australia/Woodcroft College) sent a free kick from just outside the box into the top left corner of the net. Just under two minutes later,
Neil Cummings (Belfast, Northern Ireland/St. Malachy's College) scored his first goal of the year as he finished off a cross sent into the middle of the box by
Tony Aloia (Hallsville, Texas/Hallsville HS).
The Bucs seemed to take full control in the 48th minute, when
Adamandios Toras (Meitarie, La./Archbishop Rummel HS) drew a foul in the box, allowing
Jose Ferraz (Belo Horizonte, Brazil/) to convert the penalty for his eighth goal of the season. But the Tigers would rally back, cutting the lead in half with a Thibault Charmey goal off a Vitor Gazza cross in the 54th minute.
West Alabama knotted the game at three in the 72nd minute as Gazza headed in the rebound after Green's header went off the crossbar.
Ballard's finish in the 75th minute set the final margin, sending the Bucs to Sunday morning's GSC Finals for the third consecutive year, where they will face Delta State, who upset West Florida 3-2 in Friday's second semifinal.
For the game, CBU out-shot the Tigers 20-10, including a 6-4 lead in shots on goal.
The Bucs' GSC championship match against Delta State will kick off at 11 a.m. Sunday at Brosnaham Park in Pensacola.
