Box Score SALINA, Kan. – Hitting the pitch for the first time in 2016, the Dodge City Community College men's soccer team fought their way back from a 2-0 deficit to come away with a 2-2 draw against the Kansas Wesleyan JV team at the Graves Family Sports Complex on Monday, August 22.
 
The draw is the second straight year that DC3 and KWU JV have tied with the two teams playing to a 1-1 tie last season in Salina.
 
Each team saw chances early on with the Conquistadors controlling possession for a good portion of the first half. KWU flipped the scrip towards the end of the first half, taking advantage of a handball on sophomore Luis Cruz leading to a penalty kick goal being sent into the back of the net via the bottom left corner in the 42^nd minute.
 
The final three minutes of the half would run out, leaving DC3 trailing at the midway point 1-0, but with plenty of life left to make a game out of things.
 
After sending the starting 11 back out onto the pitch for the second half, KWU JV sent a shot just wide at the 46-minute mark before putting one past the Dodge City goalkeeper in the 53^rd minute to take a 2-0 lead.
 
In the 62^nd minute, Cruz would make up for the handball in the first half and net his first goal of the year after receiving a 40-yard pass to fire one from 20 yards out into the bottom right corner.
 
The Conquistadors would draw momentum following their goal to control the tempo and possession while looking for an equalizer, getting their chance following a Kansas Wesleyan JV penalty. Irvin Rodriguez made the most of the opportunity by converting the penalty kick to knot the game at two apiece in the 88^th minute, sending the game into overtime.
 
Neither team found an opening in the extra period, eventually settling for the 2-2 result.
 
"I liked how simple we played tonight and how we moved the ball around better than last week's tune-up" head coach Tim Romanello said after the game. "It's disheartening to give up a penalty goal three minutes before halftime and go down 1-0, but we went in and fixed things and the team responded well to battle back and come away with a draw."
 
DC3 will have a short turnaround, having Tuesday off before traveling to Great Bend, Kansas for a neutral site game against Central Christian College at 1 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon.