WHEATON, Ill. – The Carthage College men's soccer team rebounded from heartbreaking loss in their season opener Tuesday to win their first game of the season with a 90th minute with a game winning goal from Kevin Mahoney to defeat Washington University (Mo.), 2-1, Friday in the Red Men's first game of the Wheaton College Bob Baptista Invitational. 

With the win Carthage moves to 1-1-0 in 2015, and the loss sends Washington to 1-1-0 on the year.
 
"It's interesting because we played really well until the altitude got us in Colorado, and ended up losing a nail biter in OT on the road," said Carthage head coach Steve Domin.  "And today we had much the same thing until the heat got us this time."
 
With less than a minute remaining in remaining in regulation Carthage forced a corner with high pressure in the Washington end.  On the ensuing corner, Austin Bitta found Kevin Mahoney with eight seconds left eight yards out who cracked a shot past the outstretched Washington goalkeeper, who found himself out of place following the misjudging the corner. 
 
Carthage opened the scoring in the fourth minute as Shane Reilly received a ball from left back Jamie Tausend and connected on his second goal of the season, much like his first, not quitting on the play and taking advantage of a goalkeeping error.  Friday was the second straight game in which Reilly converted a goal in the fourth minute of the match. 
 
Washington pulled the match to even at 1-1 when Marc VanderBerg flicked a ball from Grant Baltes into the net.
 
Much like Reilly's repeat performance, Tausend had a strong performance for the second straight game, staggering the Washington attack throughout the match.
 
"I can't say enough about Evan Bott, Jaime Tausend, and Kevin Mahoney's performances," noted Steve Domin.  "The stats seem a little off as we were only credited with 8 or 9 shots but Rimkus had at least that on his own, we were under them often to no avail, dodged a handful of their threats as well, and started to win the fatigue battle."
 
While Carthage was only credited with only nine shots, two of those on target, freshman goalkeeper Evan Bott had the best game of his young career, making nine saves against a pesky Washington attack.  Bott's biggest save was the turning point making a save on a Bears penalty kick in the 77th minute to preserve a 1-1 tie late in the match.
 
The save turned the momentum and Carthage mounted pressure down the stretch before eventually connecting on the late winner.
 
"I will say it is nice to be on this side of the results column in such brutal weather conditions, and against one of the regions' top teams," said Domin.  "If we keep finding some type of rhythm with our combinations on the field and with our personnel we could have something special in a transition year."
 
Carthage returns to action Saturday when they play Bethel University (Minn.) to closeout the opening road trip of the season at 2 p.m. before returning to Carthage for the home opener against Olivet, Tuesday.
 
"We really put our team against the top teams in America yearly and in a grinding fashion, and it continues tomorrow and Tuesday," said Domin.