FAIRFAX, Va. – It took until the 95th minute of play for the first goal to be scored, but sophomore Jannick Eckenrode was able to put one past the keeper in the 95th minute to give Mason the 1-0 victory over St. Joseph's on Friday.
After receiving a pass from senior Zak Haapaoja, Eckenrode put away the game winner right outside the net for his second goal of the season to give Mason (7-2-2, 2-0-1) the win. Senior Hugh Roberts also recorded an assist on the goal that gave the Patriots their third win in the past four games. St. Joseph's falls to 2-7-5 on the season and 0-4 in A-10 Conference play.
Mason held a 17-8 advantage in shots for the game, outshooting the Hawks 7-1 in shots on goal. In goal, freshman Steffen Kraus only needed to make one save to record his sixth shutout and seventh win of the season, a shot on goal by Colin Reily in the 65th minute.
The Patriots put pressure on goal for the entire match, including a chance in the 57th minute when a Taylor Washington shot was saved on a diving attempt by Haws goalkeeper Andrew D'Ottavi. More chances to seal the deal came late in the second half when a header by Roberts went wide in the 78th minute and a shot by Julio Arjona was blocked in the 80th minute.
Washington saw a second attempt come in the overtime period when his shot was saved in the fourth minute of overtime, however the winning goal would come only 50 seconds later.
The Patriots resume play on Sunday, October 27 at George Mason Stadium when they host La Salle on Senior Day. Mason's nine seniors will be honored in a ceremony 20 minutes prior to kickoff and Mason soccer hall of fame inductions will occur at halftime of Sunday's match. Game time is slated for 1 p.m.