NEWARK, Delaware – The American International College men's soccer team clawed back for a 3-3 tie with Wilmington University to close out a weekend in Delaware on Saturday, September 7.

AIC is now 0-1-1 on the campaign.

The scoring was rapid in the early going. Leo Consoloni opened with a penalty kick goal just 1:15 in for the Yellow Jackets after the home side was called for a hand ball in the box, but the Wildcats answered 2:07 later on a Jhamaleek Porter strike as the forward jumped in front of a pass at the top of the AIC 18-yard box from the right side.

That burst was all that either side managed in the opening 45; Wilmington had two more shots on goal in the half, but the squads entered the break even at 1-1.

In the second, the Wildcats took the lead for the first time. Michiharu Takanashi gathered a pass on the right side of the attacking half and carried it forward to the right side of the 18-yard box before firing a cross that Theo Faillon dove to head home at the left post at 53:20.

AIC answered in the 72nd minute to draw level at 2-2. Off of a save on a Wilmington free kick, goalkeeper Justus Wetzel dished the ball out of the back. It was punted down the left side and the Yellow Jackets took possession in the Wildcat half of the field. The team pushed up aggressively and moved the ball from left to right, with Nicholas Chapman then firing a pass back across the box to the left that Giorgos Nikolettides blasted home at 71:17.

However, the Wildcats retook the lead less than ten minutes later. This time, Takanashi was the finisher, striking home a Tsubasa Abe through ball right down the middle at 80:46.

AIC was now in desperation mode, but found the answer. Consoloni took a free kick about 10 yards above the box and floated it to Christian Torres, who managed to get enough room to take a shot that eluded the Wildcats goalkeeper and hit the twine at 87:30, giving AIC a hard-fought draw.

Wetzel earned the tie result with six saves on eight shots in 57:33 after replacing Lucas Morales-Fernandez, who made two stops on three shots in 32:27.

AIC returns to New England for its next matchup on Saturday, September 14, a 6:00 p.m. kickoff at the University of Bridgeport.