MENA, Arkansas--The 17th ranked Northern Oklahoma College Mavericks men's soccer picked up a hard earned 2-1 overtime win over Rich Mountain Sunday.  Due to the Rich Mountain field being too wet the game was played at the Mena High School football field.  The cramped field led to a physical game between the two good teams.

The first half went back and forth with the Mavs outshooting the Bucks ten to three.  Northern goalkeeper Spencer Braswell collected two saves in the first half while the Rich Mountain goalkeeper picked up three.  The Mavs also had a shot by Jesus Aleman hit the crossbar.  

The second half was wide open and full of end to end action.  It looked like the Mavericks were sure to score on a few occasions, but each time their shots would either go just wide of the goal, just over the goal, or the Bucks goalkeeper would make the save.  It was Rich Mountain that found the net first late in the half with a shot from outside the box.  The Mavs responded almost immediately with a goal to tie the score.  The Mavs played a ball across the box that was headed back across the goal by Maverick winger Fernando Marrufo.  George Robinson was there to tap the ball in.  Neither team could score the rest of the way despite some great chances by both teams.

It looked like the first overtime period would end scoreless until the Mavs were awarded a corner kick with twenty seconds left.  Marcovich Brown drove the ball across the goal where fellow Jamaican, Kareem Williams, shot the ball into the net with only three seconds remaining.

"This was a tough game," said coach Michael DuRoy.  "There is no space on that field and they are a good, physical team.  I'm pleased that the guys were able to gut it out.  We missed some chances that we normally bury.  Had we done that the game would have been over sooner.  It seemed like it wasn't going to be our day.  Fernando Marrufo may have made the play of the year for us.  He outjumped two of their guys and stuck his head right by the post to get to that cross that tied the score.  I'm really happy for him."

Northern will return home to play Murray State on Wednesday at 4 p.m.  The Mavs are 6-1 and ranked 17th in the nation.