UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University men's soccer team put on a show in the second half and overtime, rallying from a two-goal deficit to knock off rival Northwood University in the 2021 Spring home opener Sunday at Braddock Field.

Northwood scored less than five minutes into the second half to take a 3-1 advantage and control of the contest. Danny Barlow answered for the Cardinals netting a pair of goals just over just a six-minute span to tie the score.

Both teams had chances down the stretch in regulation, but the defenses held to send the game into overtime. In the 97^th minute, Kairo Coore found a loose ball near the top of the box, tapped it past the Northwood goalkeeper, and struck it into the open net for the game-winning score.

"It's been a long time coming to get back on the home field and to have our fans is a fantastic feeling," SVSU Head Coach Louis Barrow said. "We started slowly but we finished strong. That is the important thing."

The 4-3 win keeps SVSU perfect this season at 3-0-0 and at the top of the table in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

The contest started with the action tilted towards the SVSU goal, as Northwood scored in the opening minute to take an early lead on a goal from August Hunter. The Timberwolves made it 2-0 in the 19^th minute on a goal from Amedeo Crovasce.

Alex Gloshen stepped up to get the Cardinals going, forcing a turnover by the Northwood goalkeeper and sliding the ball into an empty net to cut the deficit to 2-1 with less than 10 minutes remaining in the first half.

"The goal from Alex gave us a lifeline and got us in the game again," Barrow said.

Following the second goal of the game from Crovasce early in the second half, Danny Barlow netted the first of three unanswered goals from the Cardinals in the 56^th minute. Just a few minutes later, Barlow took a feed from Gabriello Calamita and ripped a shot into the net in the 62^nd to tie the score.

"It is great to have a team that believes they always have a chance to come back," Barrow said. "We have tremendous character on this team, and we are never out of a match."

The game-winner from Coore assisted by Barlow in overtime set off a wild scene for the Cardinals as the team piled onto the field for a celebration.

SVSU outshot Northwood 19-7, as Mason Maziasz made one save in net in the win, improving to 3-0-0 on the season.

The Cardinals continue league play at Ashland University at 2 pm next Sunday in Ashland, Ohio.