CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Gordon Fighting Scots and MIT Engineers played to a 2-2 draw in a weather-delayed NCAA soccer match on Monday afternoon at MIT's Roberts Field. The match featured four goals and a mid-first half weather interruption that paused play for nearly 30 minutes.
The scoring opened in the 27th minute when Gordon's Luke Lindas found the net off an assist from Benny Simpson to put the Fighting Scots up 1-0. MIT responded before halftime when Gianluca Balestrieri equalized in the 42nd minute, with Dilin Meloni providing the assist. Balestrieri struck again in the 68th minute to give MIT a 2-1 lead, but Gordon's Will Goodling leveled the match in the 79th minute with Simpson recording his second assist of the day.
The first half saw Gordon take the initiative early, with Santiago Hernandez testing MIT's defense with a shot in the 12th minute that went high. MIT goalkeeper Paolo Mangiafico was tested early, while Gordon's Riley Calemmo made key saves on Shikhar Motupally in both the 10th and 32nd minutes. The weather delay came at 4:38 PM with Gordon leading 1-0, forcing both teams to regroup.
The second half featured increased offensive pressure from MIT, who generated multiple chances early. Chase Carroll forced a save from Calemmo in the 49th minute, and Motupally hit the post in the 63rd minute. The Engineers dominated the corner kick count in the second period, earning several set-piece opportunities before Balestrieri's go-ahead goal. Gordon showed resilience in finding their late equalizer through Goodling.
Final statistics showed MIT's offensive advantage, as they outshot Gordon 11-8 overall, with a 5-2 edge in shots on goal. The Engineers also held a 7-4 advantage in corner kicks. The match's physical nature was evident with multiple fouls called on both sides, and MIT's Peter Jedlicka received the game's only yellow card in the 39th minute.
Individually, Balestrieri stood out with his brace for MIT, while Simpson's two assists highlighted Gordon's attacking output. Calemmo finished with three crucial saves in goal for Gordon, while MIT used both Paolo Mangiafico and Hernando Ardila between the posts during different portions of the match.
The tactical battle shifted throughout the match, with Gordon finding success through wide play and set pieces, while MIT controlled more possession and created chances through their midfield combination play. Both teams adjusted their approaches following the weather delay, with MIT becoming more aggressive in the attacking third.
The draw moved Gordon's record to 7-3-2 on the season, while MIT's record shifted to 3-6-4. Gordon's strong defensive organization was evident throughout, while MIT showed their ability to create chances against a quality opponent.
Looking ahead, Gordon returns to action quickly with a home match against Nichols on October 8 at 7:00 PM, while MIT will travel to face Babson on October 11 at 1:00 PM. Both teams will look to build on the positive aspects of this competitive draw as they continue their conference schedules.