ENMU snags 2-2 tie

CANYON, Texas — It probably felt like a victory Saturday, even if it did go as just one point in the Heartland Conference standings.

Gabriel Peres and Gregory Franusic each scored in the final 30 minutes of regulation to eliminate a 2-0 deficit, and neither team could get the winner in overtime Saturday as Eastern New Mexico left West Texas A&M with a 2-2 tie.

Coupled with Thursday’s 5-2 win over Texas-Permian Basin, the Greyhounds (5-5-2, 3-3-2) grabbed four points in the standings to move to 11 overall — besting the nine they recorded all of last season.

It looked like the 23rd-ranked Buffs (8-2-2, 5-2-1) were heading to an easy conference victory, following goals by Lucca Lima in the 19th and 39th minute. But they would get nothing more past Ross Dalton, who had three saves on the day.

The teams combined for 39 total shots, with 12 of them on goal — seven for the Greyhounds and five for the host Buffs.

After the Greyhounds got Peres’ equalizer in the 81st minute, things got physical. The game had six yellow cards and two red cards — all but one coming in the last 10 minutes of regulation and the two 10-minute sudden-death overtime periods.

Both teams ended up playing down man when it was all over — first WT following Cameron Walker’s red card in the 92nd minute and ENMU over the final 15-plus when Jose Tabares-Ochoa picked up a red card.

The Greyhounds return to action Thursday at Midwestern State.

ENMU 5, Texas-Permian Basin 2 (Thursday) — Aderi Arthur-Dede scored just 1:06 into the contest, and the Greyhounds had little problem moving the visiting Falcons to 0-7 on the Heartland season.

Joao Gabriel Andrade scored just over 10 minutes later, and Gabriel Peres made it 3-0 10 minutes after that. Peres also had assists on the opening two goals.

Arthur-Dede scored again in the second half, heading in a William Sutton free kick in the 73rd minute.

The Falcons (1-10, 0-7) finally got on the board in the 74th minute on an Oscar Canela shot from 20 yards out. Canela scored again before ENMU’s Julian Trapp ended scoring with a header off Marvin Lewin’s corner kick.

The host Greyhounds ended the contest with 26 total shots, 12 of them on goal against the Falcons’ Jameson Soto. Peres led Eastern with eight shots, four on goal.

Dalton had three saves on the day.