By Matt Bradshaw —

Following a two-game win streak to start conference play, men’s soccer tied the Charlotte 49ers. The teams entered overtime after a 2-2 draw in regulation but neither side emerged with the golden goal.

Charlotte (3-1-1) came to Lynn Stadium and gave No. 6 Louisville (4-1-1) a run for its money, shooting out to a 2-0 lead in the first half. The Cardinals answered with a relentless attack and two goals of their own.

Geoffrey Dee and Adam Wilson netted scores for U of L. The seniors have been crucial aspects of the midfield this season and contribute with goals time and again.

First half

Charlotte opened the match with a fierce attack and multiple opportunities on goal.

In the sixth minute of play, Louisville sophomore keeper Jake Gelnovatch saved a header off a corner kick. The 49ers received the rebound and put the ball in the net for a 1-0 lead.

The first half played out for another 30 minutes without a goal. The Cardinals had multiple opportunities but couldn’t get it past the opposing keeper. Junior Kino Ryosuke almost placed a header in goal that bounced off the top crossbar.

At the 37 minute mark, Charlotte widened their lead to 2-0. The 49ers caught U of L outnumbered on a counterattack and crossed the ball through the box for a tap-in.

Two minutes later, Louisville drew a foul in the opposing box. Dee converted the penalty kick for a 2-1 score.

The Cardinals trailed by one at halftime. They had three shots with one on goal.

Second half

Less than one minute into the second half, midfielder Wilson tied the game 2-2 with a left-footed strike. The senior found himself alone in the box and curved it into the bottom-left corner of the net.

The rest of the half was a back-and-forth battle as both teams struggled for the victory. Louisville had a 9-6 shot advantage but couldn’t seem to net a winning goal.

With two minutes left in the match, Cameron Wheeler nearly scored the winning goal off a corner kick. The redshirt freshman got a head on the ball, but it bounced high and shot over the goal.

Overtime

Despite a 4-0 shot advantage, the Cardinals failed to win the match in overtime. Junior Cherif Dieye and redshirt freshman Elijah Amo had close shots to no avail.

Men’s soccer play their third conference game at home this Friday, Sept. 21 versus Pittsburgh.

You can follow the Louisville Cardinal on Twitter @thecardsports.

Photos by Nancy Hanner / The Louisville Cardinal