Box score (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason senior forward Raheem Lawal scored the game-winning goal in double overtime to propel the Patriots to a 3-2 victory over Dayton on Saturday night.

Mason (3-7-1, 2-0-0 A-10) and Dayton (5-6-0, 1-1-0 A-10) remained scoreless after the first half of play.

The Flyers broke through early in the second half when senior midfielder Daniel Dos Santos scored on a cross from freshman forward Andy Sanchez in the 46^th minute to make it a 1-0 game. 

Just over three minutes later, Dayton doubled the lead in the 60th minute when junior midfielder Jonas Fjeldberg netted his sixth goal of the season to make the score 2-0.  Sanchez picked up his second assist of the match on the goal.

On a night where the falling temperatures signaled a change in the seasons, the Patriots began to change the outcome of the match in the 64th minute.

Mason senior defender Pablo Pertusa Martinez netted his first goal of the season, blasting a shot into the lower left corner to cut the Flyers lead to 2-1.  Senior forward Tunde Akinlosotu and freshman defender Asker Damgaard picked up the assists on the play.

Akinlosotu tallied the equalizer in the 78th minute, blistering a shot into the upper left corner for his third goal of the season off a pass from Pertusa to even the score, 2-2.  Akinlosotu has scored all three of his goals this season at George Mason Stadium.
 
With less than four minutes remaining in double overtime, the Patriots made the most of a set piece. 

Senior midfielder Ryan Mingachos played a corner kick to senior defender Gilian Buijk, who hit the post with a shot.  Lawal pounced on the rebound and scored the first game-winning goal of his career to lift the Patriots to the 3-2 victory.

Mason has won the first two matches in Atlantic 10 play for the first time since joining the league.

Mason sophomore goalkeeper Brison Moorhead made five saves to earn his second win of the season.  Dayton senior goalkeeper Federica Barrios made four saves before leaving the game due to a red card in the 77th minute, while Flyers junior goalkeeper Jack Steele made three saves.

HOW THEY SCORED

46' | Dos Santos scored his second goal of the season from 10 yards out off a cross from Sanchez.

50' | Fjeldberg netting his team-leading sixth goal of the season into the lower left from 15 yards out.

64' | Pertusa scored his first goal of the season into the lower left corner from 10 yards out.

78' | Akinlosotu tallied his third goal of the season into the upper left corner from 15 yards out.

107' | Lawal recorded his first career game-winning goal on a rebound from five yards out.

QUOTABLE

"We thought we made all the right adjustments at halftime to take advantage of some things and that clearly wasn't the case," Mason head coach Greg Andrulis said.  "We gave away two goals early but to the guys credit they hung with it and Brison made a couple of key saves.  Then we get the first goal and get them a little bit back on their heels.  Credit to the guys for fighting through after being down 2-0 early in the second half, they just hung with it and took advantage of our chances.  Three goals in a game is kind of rare for us but we needed that tonight and we got another three points to move to 2-0 in the conference and we move forward from there."

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

The Patriots outshot the Flyers 17-12, including a 10-7 edge in shots on goal.  Mason had 11 corner kicks and Dayton had six corner kicks in the match.

Mingachos led all players with four shots on goal, while Akinlosotu recorded three shots on goal.

The Patriots, who joined the Atlantic 10 in 2014, have started 2-0 in conference play for the first time in program history.

The Patriots improved to 3-1-2 all-time against the Flyers.

UP NEXT

The Patriots are on the road on Wednesday, Oct. 9 to face Saint Louis.  The opening kick is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Hermann Stadium in St. Louis, Mo.