T2 Get Comeback Victory in Tulsa

T2 went down 1-0 in the first half but their luck changed in the second. T2 played like a different team in the second half and got three goals for the away win tonight. Two goals from Michael Nanchoff and a third in stoppage time from Kharlton Belmar.

Tulsa were the better team in the first half and the scoreline supported that. Tulsa opened the scoring in the 17th minute. Rennico Clarke gave up a foul in a dangerous spot and Chad Bond stepped up to take the free kick for Tulsa. It was a perfectly placed free kick right behind the defense but just far enough out that Gleeson hesitated for a half second. Defender Kyle Venter got in and put it away from close range.

Three yellow cards were also given in the first half. Assist man Chad Bond had a very strong "old fashioned challenge" as the announcers put it on T2 captain Blair Gavin in the 32nd minute. And then in the 39th minute Eli Galbrath-Knapp and Blair Gavin got in "a bit of a scrap" per the announcer. There was arguing and chest bumping but nothing else. The ref came over and broke them up, calmed them down, and then gave each a yellow card. T2 were able to make it to the whistle and lucky to only be down 1-0 by halftime.

T2 came out of the half looking much better than they did going into it. They were able to create a few chances, all from Winchester, in the first 15 minutes of the half. But Tulsa were still dangerous and continued to seek out their insurance goal. And those chances in the first half that Tulsa missed would end up costing them. Because T2 equalized in the 63rd minute. It appeared that a Winchester shot got blocked but the ball came down to Nanchoff who bounced the ball off his foot into the air and struck a stunner of a half volley from outside the box to get the equalizer for T2.

But it wouldn't stop there. T2 didn't just equalize; they made a comeback. In the 74th minute it appeared that the ref awarded T2 a penalty kick. The ref signaled that Tulsa goal scorer Kyle Venter had a handball in the box after the ball was sent in from a T2 corner kick and awarded the PK. Nanchoff stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way for an easy conversion. And after the second goal Tulsa really tried to put on the pressure and find their equalizer.

But T2 held steady. They would not be broken. Gleeson made two good saves on Tulsa's two best chances of the evening. And as they got frustrated Tulsa even attempted to get a PK of their own. But Cordero was given a yellow card by the ref for diving within the T2 box. And T2 survived the onslaught and made it to stoppage time.

With stoppage time upon them Tulsa threw everyone forward. So when Winchester got free with the ball there was only one defender and a keeper in their own half. And the speed of Winchester and Belmar had them off to the races on the T2 breakaway. Twice that night Winchester crossed to Belmar in the box but was just a hair off. Third time though was the charm as Belmar connected with Winchester's cross and slotted his shot past the keeper for the third goal of the night. And just one minute later the whistle blew and T2 got all three points in quite the comeback victory.