MISL Playoffs : Usiyan’s 3rd Goal Gives Minnesota Win in Overtime

Thompson Usiyan’s third goal of the game in overtime gave the Minnesota Strikers a 5-4 victory and a 2-1 series lead over the Cleveland Force Friday night in the best-of-five MISL semifinal playoff round.

Usiyan took a cross-court pass from Gary Etherington and broke down the right side, firing a 25-foot shot into the lower right-hand corner. It was the Strikers’ ninth straight home playoff victory.

Kai Haaskavi’s goal for Cleveland with 2:30 remaining in regulation time sent the game into overtime.

Haaskavi took advantage of an errant clearing pass from Striker defender Ken Fogarty, intercepting the ball in mid-air and kicking in a 20-foot shot into the middle of the net.

Two minutes before Haaskavi tied the game Usiyan scored his second goal of the game on an 18-foot shot to give the Strikers a 4-3 lead.

The Strikers applied constant pressure in the fourth quarter, outshooting Cleveland 18-6.

Jan Goosens scored his eighth goal of the playoffs at 5:27 of the first quarter to give the Strikers a 1-0 lead. Cleveland tied the game, 1-1, 43 seconds into the second quarter, when Alex Tarnoczi converted an Andy Chapman pass.

David Byrne put the Strikers ahead, 2-1, at 3:59 of the third quarter. Seven minutes later, Ali Kazemini got his first playoff goal to tie, 2-2.

Usiyan put the Strikers ahead at 8:22 of the fourth, but 1:11 later Benny Dargle rifled in a 40-foot shot to tie the game, 3-3.

The Strikers outshot the Force, 45-37. The winning goalkeeper was Tino Lettieri and the losing goalkeeper was Chris Vaccaro.