Ewing, NJ … Peter Dresch (Highland Park, NJ/St. Joseph) scored 6:13 into the first overtime period to lift The College of New Jersey men's soccer team to a 2-1 victory at Stockton University in the first round of the 2016 New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships.
 
The Lions (9-8-2) now advance to the semifinal match against #10 Rowan University on Tuesday night. Top-seeded Rutgers-Newark will play Montclair State University in the other semifinal. They defeated Rutgers University-Camden 4-2 earlier today.
 
The game went into overtime after the Ospreys tied the match in the 77^th minute. In the first overtime period, senior Thomas Hogue (Ridgefield Park, NJ/Bergen Catholic) touched a short pass through two Stockton defenders as Dresch streaked through the box. He pushed a shot that goalkeeper Michael Lescano caught a piece of, but couldn't stop. The goal by Dresch ended the game as he was flooded by his teammates in celebration.
 
The Lions took an early lead, which is always a recipe for success on the road in the post-season. Just 12:02 into the match, Hogue carried the ball just outside the top left corner of the box. He found daylight and got off a shot that Lescano batted down. Sophomore Nick Sample (New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt) raced in to punch in the rebound for his second goal of the season.
 
Play was even for the majority of the game and the Lions maintained their one-goal advantage deep into the second half. They dodged a bullet in the 72^nd minute when Osprey Alex Kourahanis received an aerial cross in the box and settled off his chest to his foot just outside the six on the left side. He had a clean look and fired a shot that hit the cross bar.
 
Just under six minutes later, however, Kourahanis drove a corner that was flicked toward the far post by Drew Ruble. Jeff Tanski ran onto it and booted it out of the air into the back of the net to tie the game 1-1.
 
Neither team could net the go-ahead goal in regulation. The shots were an even 2-2 in the overtime period, but Dresch made his shot count to keep the season alive for the Lions. It the fourth goal of the season for Dresch.

TCNJ goalkeeper Dan Walsh (Waldwick, NJ/Waldwick) made seven saves in the match for the win.
 
The semifinal match at Rowan will be played on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.