HELENA, Mont. – A week ago the Carroll College men's soccer team lost a late lead and the match to the University of Great Falls. Saturday, the Saints were on the other end of the steal when they scored two goals in the final five minutes of the match to earn a 3-2 victory over Northwest University on the pitch at Nelson Stadium.
 
Terry Cox scored off a corner kick in the 86th minute to equalize the match. The ball came into the box and found Jose Porras who deflected the ball back toward the direction of the kick and found Cox who headed the ball in to tie the match 2-2.
 
Just over a minute later, Porras received the ball on a free kick from Jonathon Taylor. He was tripped up in the box and was awarded a penalty kick. Porras buried the ball to the right top corner to give Carroll the lead.
 
Northwest had chances in the final minutes including a shot with just seconds left in the match. A northwest player sent a shot over a pack in front of the goal that was perfectly on target when Carroll senior goalkeeper Conor Smith punched the ball over the top of the cross bar for the save.
 
Northwest desperately tried to get the ball in position for the corner kick but weren't able to get a real chance at it before the final siren rang out.
 
"As long as I've been around -- 39 years -- it ranks up there as just a crazy, who-knows-what's-gonna-happen game," head coach Doug Mello said. "Cojo (Smith) makes that save in the end to keep the game in our favor … penalty kick … jeez. I'm still at a little bit of a loss for words, really."
 
The save in the final seconds was fitting for the lone senior on his final game at Nelson Stadium.
 
"Yeah, 'scripted' is probably the word for it. It would be for Senior Day, with Cojo making that save, it would be for the crowd maybe thinking we're out of it at 2-1 with five minutes left when we scored, and then we got the other one … it was … everybody's still buzzing. You can hear it. Wild."
 
Northwest outshot the Saints 16-0 and Smith was credited with 11 saves.  Northwest also had seven corner kicks to the Saints two but in the end, the Saints got the win.
 
Carroll scored the first goal of the game in the 57th minute when Isaac Bostrom sent a crossing chip shot over the head of the Eagle goalkeeper for the 1-0 lead.
 
Northwest answered with back-to-back goals in the 63rd and 68th minutes but the Saints would close out the game with the win.
 
Carroll has four games remaining on the Cascade Conference schedule, and look to move up in the standings. The combined Cascade record of the final four opponents is 9-33 but Carroll begins with the biggest challenge in 5-6 Southern Oregon Friday evening in Ashland.