Goshen, IN — A memo to Goshen College men’s soccer head coach Tavi Mounsithiraj:

Don’t schedule any more matches on Friday the 13th.

Fans that stuck around campus during the institution’s fall break witnessed a near horror at the Goshen College Soccer Complex Friday evening, as Goshen had to work an eerie miracle to escape with a 1-1, double-overtime tie against Huntington University. Playing far from its best soccer, the Leafs avoided their first Mid-Central Conference loss of the year thanks in large part to senior Joel Miller, who again produced a miraculous goal off a corner kick — the latest coming with just 23 seconds remaining in regulation and a 1-0 deficit on the scoreboard.

It all didn’t sit well with Mounsithiraj, however, who looked as if he had seen a ghost of his team following the match.

“We knew this match would not be an easy one and we knew we needed to go out and pressure Huntington right away,” Mounsithiraj said. “For some unknown reason, our side came out not playing like we are capable. Maybe that was because of how hard HU was playing, but I thought our team played just well enough to get a tie against a well-organized Huntington team. I don’t think we played like we’re capable and I don’t think we were sharp at all. Yes, we were dominating the run of play but we just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net.”

It was obvious to all in attendance that something was amiss from the outset of play, as Goshen (10-4-1, 4-0-1) struggled with touches all over the field. While the team dominated both time of possession and the final stat sheet — Goshen attempted 12 shots on goal to Huntington’s four and 15 corner kicks to the Foresters’ three — the Leafs’ normal precision was missing.

A scoreless first half seemed to give Huntington — in a severe underdog role — all the momentum, as in the match’s 53rd minute the Foresters got what they so desperately wanted. With the wind howling across the field, Huntington’s Joel Sanders was able to curve a ball past senior goalkeeper Craig Welscott, giving the Foresters a 1-0 lead and stunning the Goshen crowd.

Playing at home, Goshen was staring directly at its first MCC loss of the year.

“In the second half we began to play a little better, but Huntington scored on one of its four shots on goal,” Mounsithiraj said. “Being down one-nil our team continued to press forward, but Huntington was putting most of their players back in their own half and making it very complicated for us to get a good look at the goal. If we did take a shot, the ball was either saved by the HU keeper or it hit one of the defenders that was surrounding the 18-yard box.”

A ray of light with just under 10 minutes to play quickly vanished, as senior Ashe Abebe played a nifty one-two ball with Miller at the top of the Foresters’ 18-yard box and placed a bullet into the back of the Huntington net. Abebe was whistled offside, however, and the goal was nullified.

Gamesmanship by the Foresters came into play in the final moments of regulation, as the center official stopped time on four occasions after Huntington took extra time on restart and throw in chances. Those instances may have been a blessing for Goshen, however, as the Leafs would need every available second to send the game into extra time.

A Goshen corner kick with just under a minute to play appeared to be the last chance for the team, but Huntington defended it well and cleared the ball, only to set up another corner chance for Goshen, this time with 30 seconds remaining on the clock.

Sophomore midfielder Garet Osterloo placed the ball on the baseline side of the arc, and took two steps to send the ball from left to right into the Huntington box.

His serve hung in the air for a moment, curved slightly, and was greeted at its highest point by Miller, whose jersey number 12 may be replaced by an S in the near future.

Miller, like Superman, again saved the day. The two-time MCC Defensive Player of the Year thrashed his head around violently to send the ball just beneath the crossbar and into the back of the net with 23 seconds remaining on the clock, setting off a frenzy both on the field and off. For the third consecutive game, Miller had scored a header off a corner kick. For the second time, it either won the game or tied it.

“Obviously, that goal gave us some momentum,” Mounsithiraj said. “I think Huntington’s slowing down the game actually helped us because we had more time on the clock for us to take that corner kick.”

With the momentum back on its side, Goshen was able to dominate both extra stanzas, but could not find a score. Huntington continued to play on the defensive, thwarting all Leafs’ chances to roll to the team’s fifth straight league win.

“Even with 15 corner kicks and 12 shots on goal we still could not get the result we wanted,” Mounsithiraj said. “My hat is off to HU for coming here and walking away with a draw. I am pleased with how we came back and got the tie. Our team showed a lot of heart and we will learn a lot from this game. We have a lot to improve on with three matches left to play. We will learn from this.”

Miller’s score — while extraordinary at the moment — may have far greater weight as the remainder of the MCC season plays out. Goshen still sits alone atop the league, as all other conference teams have at least one conference loss.

Goshen will get a major test again next week, however, as the team travels to Indiana Wesleyan — one of three MCC squads with just one loss — on Wednesday. Match time is set for 7 p.m. in Marion. For a complete look at conference standings and remaining schedules, click here.