Box Score

BELLINGHAM, Wash. --- Three Vikings notched their first goals of the season, helping Western Washington University earn a 3-3 overtime tie against Concordia University, Ore., on Thursday in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's soccer contest at Harrington Field.

The Vikings are now 3-4-3 overall and 1-3-2 in the GNAC. Concordia is 4-2-3 overall, 2-1-3 in conference play. Matt Paine scored twice for the Cavaliers.

"Overall, I'm proud of the way my guys battled," said WWU coach Greg Brisbon. "We were improved today, and dealt well with a lot of adversity."

Paine opened the scoring with a free kick on the edge of the penalty area less than four minutes into the contest, but the Vikings rallied to take a 2-1 halftime lead.

Jeremy Wentzel (Sr., Edmonds/Edmonds-Woodway) equalized in the 20th minute with a blast from 15 yards out, and then Leonard Kusina (Sr., Harare, Zimbabwe/Shattuck-St. Mary's) put the Vikings in front by finishing off a cross in the 38th minute.

Western extended the lead to 3-1 just over eight minutes into the second half as Chad Radulovich (So., San Ramon, CA/California) finished after latching onto a through ball.

Concordia then rallied to force extra time. B.J. Romac cut the margin in half with a header in the 72nd minute, then the Cavaliers equalized in bizarre fashion in the 80th minute. The Vikings had a free kick 20 yards behind the center line, and when the ball was knocked to goalkeeper Tyler Visten (Jr., Mount Vernon) preparing to the kick, it was ruled live, and Paine stepped in and dribbled in to score with no players from either team within 20 yards of him.

Western's best chance in extra time came in the 92nd minute, when Kusina had a shot from 10 yards saved by Mitch McCaw. Erick Urzua had a late chance in the penalty area for Concordia, but his shot was deflected wide.

Three red cards were assessed - Concordia's Stefan Vincent was sent off for a breakaway foul on Kusina in the 85th minute, and Western's Brady Ulen (Jr., Post Falls/Coeur d'Alene, ID/Post Falls) and Visten were ejected at the final whistle.

The Vikings play host to NCAA Division II No.12 ranked Northwest Nazarene on Saturday (7 p.m.).