HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. ­— Senior Jordan Palma's goal with just under seven minutes left in double overtime propelled the Averett men's soccer team to a 3-2 victory over Hampden-Sydney College on Saturday night, giving the Cougars their first victory of the season.
 
One night after dropping a close contest to Randolph College by the same score, Averett (1-2) was determined to flip its fortune as sophomore Tobias Andreasson made a gorgeous run down the left side and found Palma with a cross to the center for the game-winning goal. Minutes earlier, it looked like Hampden-Sydney (2-1) would hand the Cougars another heart-breaking defeat when Ryan Turner headed a shot into an open goal, but Averett's defense knew where it had to be and cleared the line, forcing the game into a second extra period.
 
Once again, the Cougars came out swinging early as Andreasson got the Cougars on the board in the 5th minute when he broke through the Tigers' defense and found the back of the net to give Averett a 1-0 lead. However, Hampden-Sydney answered 14 minutes later when Robert Kerby buried a shot in the top left corner to knot the score at 1-1, a mark that would hold up going into the break.
 
Hampden-Sydney struck first in the second half when Hunter Weiland's strike found the back of the net, putting the Tigers up 2-1 at the 48:57 mark. Undeterred, the Cougars found an equalizer in the 53rd minute when sophomore Kyle Mosley crossed a ball into Palma, who snuck it past the Tigers' goalkeeper to level the score at 2-2, setting up the thrilling double overtime victory.
 
Averett matched its season-high in total shots, posting 16 in the victory. Freshman David Cuperman had six looks on goal on the evening, while Andreasson and Palma each added three and freshman Felix Squire recorded two.
 
The Cougars will have a six-day rest before traveling to Mount Berry, Georgia, on Sept. 11, to battle Berry College in their opening game of the Berry College Invitational at 1 p.m.