No. 12 Hobart men’s soccer rallied from a late deficit to earn a 1-1 draw with Ithaca in a Liberty League matchup on Wednesday afternoon at Cozzens Field.
The Statesmen fell behind in the 68th minute before Gabe Smith pulled them level with eight minutes remaining. Hobart then had to withstand one final Ithaca threat, with Jake Hans making a diving save with 13 seconds left to preserve the draw.
Hobart moved to 9-2-1 overall and 2-2-1 in Liberty League play, while Ithaca remained unbeaten in conference competition at 0-0-3 and moved to 7-1-5 overall.
Ithaca controlled much of the match statistically, finishing with a 23-16 advantage in shots and a 7-6 edge in shots on goal. The Bombers also held a 5-3 advantage in corner kicks.
Hans kept Hobart within striking distance throughout the afternoon, making six saves over 90 minutes. His biggest stop came in the closing seconds when he dove to deny Ithaca leading scorer Jack Carney.
Ithaca finally broke through in the 68th minute after Hans punched a shot from Cameron Wooten over the crossbar. On the ensuing corner kick, Edin Estrada curled a shot from the left side into the upper-right corner.
Hobart answered in the 82nd minute. Smith combined with Will Slayton in midfield before carrying the ball toward the top of the penalty area and firing a left-footed shot into the right corner for his third goal of the season. Hans started the sequence with a clearing pass for his first assist of the year.
Danny Spataro nearly put Hobart ahead earlier in the second half but sent a penalty kick just over the crossbar.
Hobart returns to action Saturday, October 10, against Skidmore in Saratoga Springs. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
