WHO: Men's Soccer vs. VCU
WHERE: George Mason Stadium, Fairfax, Va.
FINAL SCORE: Mason 1, VCU 1 2OT
KEY PLAYERS: Matt Tucker – 1 goal; Steffen Kraus – 7 saves

BOX SCORE (PDF)       BOX SCORE (HTML)

FAIRFAX, Va. – Battling through prevailing winds and mist, George Mason carried a 1-0 lead through the majority of the match, but a goal from VCU with less than five minutes to play forced overtime. Steffen Kraus kept VCU off the scoreboard in overtime with a big stop in the extra frame as the Atlantic 10 foes played to a 1-1 draw in both teams' conference openers.

MATCH NOTES
-Steffen Kraus came up with his first stop of the evening in the 17^th minute on a Dennis Castillo shot.
-Mason took the 1-0 lead in the 30^th minute when Matt Tucker converted his second goal of the season. Tucker completed a Jordan Edwards cross, pushing it past the goalkeeper into the bottom left corner of the net.
-Mason carried the 1-0 lead into halftime as the Patriots registered six shots, two on frame, in the period. Kraus made two saves in the period.
-VCU attacked early in the second half, looking for the equalizer, as Rafa Santos Andrade rattled off two immediate shots with Kraus coming up with a stop.
-VCU knotted the game at 1-1 with a tally from Jorge Herranz in the 86^th minute. The Rams found the back of the net on a chip-in from five-yards out.
-Kraus came up with a huge stop in the first overtime period, punching a Dakota Barnathan shot into the crossbar to keep the score at 1-1.
-Kraus made his second stop of the extra period on a Jack Bates attempt in the 100^th minute as the teams played a scoreless two overtime periods.

STAT BREAKDOWN
-VCU outshot Mason, 17-10, in the contest and 8-4 in shots on goal.
-Steffen Kraus made seven stops in the match to Pierre Gardan's three stops for VCU.
-VCU attempted nine corner kicks.
-Zach Herstek, Jannik Eckenrode and Matt Tucker each registered three shots apiece for the Patriots.

NEXT ON THE PITCH
-Mason returns to action at George Washington on Saturday, October 10 at 1 p.m.