NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. - The Niagara men's soccer team played to a 4-4 tie against the La Salle Explorers in a highly entertaining game on Saturday afternoon from Niagara Field. 

The first half was full action which included a goal scored in the first minute and two goals within five seconds en route to producing five goals. However, Niagara would give up multiple leads and had to settle for its second tie in the four all-time meetings between the programs.

"Anytime you score four goals you expect to win," head coach Dermot McGrane said. "I was disappointed with the play of our defense. We consistently allowed La Salle to get back into the game."

Forwards Liam Gilbert and Carl Haworth each had a brace (two goals) in the game and provided all of the scoring for the Purple Eagles with clinical finishing. Haworth put NU on the board with its fastest goal of the season. Gilbert crossed the ball into the box for Gino Corasaniti, who laid it off to Haworth and he smashed his shot past the La Salle keeper after 46 seconds.

In the 20th minute, Gilbert made it 2-0. Corasaniti split two defenders near the left corner flag and played a cross into the path of Gilbert, who tapped it home for his first goal as a Purple Eagle. La Salle's Jidell Roach put the Explorers on the board with a far post finish in the 33rd minute.

In the 37^th minute, Gilbert regained NU's two goal advantage with a marvelous individual effort. After running onto a through ball, Gilbert dribbled around three defenders in the box and then spun away from one more to slot home his second goal of the game. However immediately after the restart, La Salle would score to cut the lead to 3-2.

The goals kept coming in the second half. La Salle would tie the game at 3-3 five minutes into the start of the second half.  In the 58th minute, Haworth scored his second goal of the game on a midfield pass from Levi Tesch. Haworth collected the ball just outside of the box and chipped it over the keeper. The Explorers would again respond with another equalizing goal when Roach hit a 25-yard shot into the top left corner in the 68th minute to tie the game at 4-4. In the final seconds of regulation, freshman defender Nick Garcia nearly scored the winner, but his header on a corner kick was saved off the line.

In overtime NU had the better play in the first half, outshooting La Salle 4-1. Senior Jordan DeRoy's header in the 98th minute went narrowly wide for NU's best effort. The Purple Eagles defense came up big in the final seconds of the second overtime. Keeper Michael Moran made a lunging save with 15 seconds left and the en suing rebound was blocked by Garcia as time expired.

The Purple Eagles had a season-highs in shots (26), goals (four), assists (four) and corner kicks (eight).

Niagara's next match is at Robert Morris on Friday, Sept. 24 at 4 p.m.