@OAKLAND In a match that swung back and forth until the final minutes, Oakland Military Institute erased multiple two goal deficits before completing a dramatic 6–5 comeback victory over Drew School.
Drew built leads of 3–1 and 5–3 behind a hat trick from No. 8 and strong performances from Nos. 7 and 15. Oakland, however, refused to let the match get away. Fred Luwaga (No. 10) scored four times to lead the comeback, while Vu Nguyen (No. 7) converted two penalties, including the game winner with less than two minutes remaining.
Drew struck first after an early mistake in Oakland’s back line sent No. 8 through one on one with the goalkeeper. He calmly finished to give Drew a 1–0 lead just three minutes into the match.
Oakland quickly responded. Nguyen began establishing himself in midfield and found Luwaga near the top of the box, where the winger finished into the bottom right corner to make it 1–1.
Just as Oakland appeared to be settling into the match, another mistake opened the door for Drew. No. 17 caught the goalkeeper out of position and lifted his finish into the net to restore the lead at 2–1.
Oakland began applying sustained pressure, with Nguyen and Luwaga at the center of much of its attacking play. Morgan Timu (No. 5) also showed composure on the ball as Oakland looked to build its attacks. Drew, however, continued to punish mistakes. With 18 minutes remaining in the half, No. 8 converted from close range for his second goal, extending the advantage to 3–1.
Oakland continued pushing forward and nearly found another goal when a shot from Luwaga was stopped and Leo Lara (No. 11) put away the rebound, but the goal was called off.
Oakland eventually got one back after a Drew handball resulted in a penalty. Nguyen converted from the spot to send Oakland into halftime trailing 3–2.
The second half quickly turned into a shootout.
Less than two minutes after the restart, Luwaga broke behind the Drew defense, rounded the goalkeeper and finished to tie the match at 3–3.
Drew answered almost immediately. No. 7 powered forward on a breakaway and finished past the goalkeeper to restore the lead at 4–3. He then beat a defender one on one and drew a penalty, allowing No. 8 to complete his hat trick from the spot and suddenly make it 5–3.
For the second time, Oakland found themselves down by two. And for the second time, they came back.
Luwaga created space against his defender and fired into the left side of the net with 14 minutes remaining, cutting the deficit to 5–4. Oakland continued increasing the pressure as the match entered its final minutes, searching for another equalizer.
With five minutes left, Luwaga broke through in transition and buried his finish into the bottom right corner. His fourth goal of the match brought Oakland all the way back to 5–5.
The decisive moment came with fewer than two minutes remaining.
Oakland drew a foul inside the box, giving Nguyen a chance to put his team ahead for the first time all afternoon. He stepped up and converted his second penalty, completing the comeback and giving Oakland a 6–5 lead.
Drew had led 1–0, 2–1, 3–1, 4–3 and 5–3. Oakland spent nearly the entire match chasing, but when the final whistle arrived, it had completed a remarkable turnaround.
For Drew, Nos. 8, 15 and 7 stood out throughout the match. No. 8 powered the attack with a hat trick, No. 15 showed consistent composure on the ball, and No. 7 used his physicality and ability in possession to create problems.
Oakland was driven by Luwaga and Nguyen. Luwaga finished with four goals, including both the 5–4 goal and the crucial equalizer, while Nguyen controlled stretches of midfield before twice delivering from the penalty spot. Timu also provided a composed presence on the ball as Oakland battled its way back into the match.
After twice trailing by two goals, Oakland Military Institute scored the final three goals of a wild afternoon to turn a 5–3 deficit into a dramatic 6–5 victory.
ROSTER NOTE: InsideTheNinety now has several Oakland Military Institute player names, but we are still missing jersey numbers for part of the OMI roster and do not currently have a Drew School roster. If anyone has the missing numbers or a Drew roster with player names and jersey numbers, sending it our way would be extremely helpful so we can properly identify and credit everyone featured in this story.