ST. LOUIS – [FULL HIGHLIGHTS] Missouri Baptist Men's Soccer earned its first win of the season in the most dramatic fashion on Monday night. Grant Strauser's goal three minutes into overtime capped off a wild 5-4 victory over the University of Tennessee Southern.
 
Looking to get over the hump and snap a five-game slide, the Spartans once again fell behind in the first half. As was the case on Friday against No. 1 Missouri Valley, set pieces continued to be the bugaboo. Off a corner kick, the visiting Firehawks were able to convert a rebound to take a 1-0 lead.
 
After halftime though was where the real fireworks took place. In the 54^th minute, a cross from Brandon Burton was clinically finished by Louie Perez off a side volley to tie the game. Nine minutes later, Joe Ruane gave MBU the lead. Four minutes after that, another assist from Burton found Reece Kral at the back door for a tap-in. All was well for the Spartans who now had a 3-1 lead with just over 20 minutes left in regulation.
 
In this match, however, 20 minutes felt more like an eternity. UTS pulled one back to make it 3-2 in the 73^rd minute, tied the game off a Spartan own goal in the 78^th, and then reclaimed the lead 4-3 in the 80^th.
 
The Spartans were down again but not for long this time. Two minutes after the Firehawks went ahead, Nicolo Tossici tied the game for a third time off a free kick. Reece Kral's delivery into the penalty area was punched away by UTS goalkeeper Ajay Murray. In the process, Murray collided with his own player and was slow to get back to the goal. The loose ball caromed towards the corner where Tossici tracked it down, spotted the keeper off his line, and attempted a shot from a tough angle. The Italian's attempt just tucked inside the post to make it a 4-4 game.
 
With less than 10 minutes to go in regulation, there was one more plot twist the Spartans would have to deal with. In the 87^th minute, Kral was handed a yellow card for a sliding challenge. In the aftermath, the Firehawks' Miguel Tizapa appeared to have tripped Kral as the two were walking away from the play. Kral retaliated, igniting a minor scuffle between the two teams. The official, after discussion with his assistant, decided to hand out a yellow to each player. For Kral, that meant a second yellow in a matter of seconds and an early exit. The Spartans would play the rest of the way with 10 men.  
 
They survived the remaining four minutes of regulation and the match went to a 10-minute sudden death overtime. Three minutes into the extra period, Cullen Barr won a footrace to a ball just outside the UTS penalty area. Barr tried a shot that ricocheted off the post, but sophomore Grant Strauser was there to poke home the rebound. Strauser's first career goal snapped the Spartans' losing skid and capped off one of the wildest games in the short history of Spartan Field.
 
"Credit to UTS," commented Head Coach Jake Alvernia afterwards. "They never quit down 3-1. This was a battle royale and it was good to come out on top."
 
With three assists on the night, forward Brandon Burton was named 'Man of the Match'.
 
"Brandon was a handful today," noted Alvernia. "Three assists and he created havoc."
 
The Spartans are now 1-5 overall ahead of Saturday's trip to Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 am CST. The AMC schedule begins on September 25 at home against No. 22 Lyon College.