Harrison Nowalk (standing) and Tom Hart (below) combined for four goals and four assists in Friday's 9-8 victory over previously unbeaten Marriotts Ridge.
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Harrison Nowalk scored three goals and assisted on a fourth, Tom Hart had a goal and three assists, Rick Rappaport scored three times, Brent Greer and Aaron Foster scored once each, and A.J. Brown had an assist as Atholton won Friday night's Howard County League  game, 9-8, over previously unbeaten Marriotts Ridge.

The Raiders led by 9-5 heading into the fourth quarter, when the Mustangs began their comeback.

Only a save by senior goalie Brian Humphreys with eight seconds left prevented the game from going into overtime.

"Marriotts Ridge had brought the ball down into the restraining box, and he drove with his right hand, rolled back to his left and fired an 8-yard bounce shot," recalls Humpreys, who finished with nine saves.

"I stepped to the ball, and took it off of my right glove," Humpreys said. "After that, all of the players were kind of scavenging for the ball and then time ran out. I was mobbed by my teammates. The first one to reach me was Dan Guy."

The Raiders improved to 3-3 in the county, and, 4-4 overall with the victory, which kept Atholton from losing its fourth straight game.

The Mustangs slipped to 5-1 in the county, and, 8-1 overall.

The Mustangs, who had entered the game averaging more than 12 goals per outting, were held to their lowest goal total -- eight -- for only the second time this season.

In their fourth season, the Mustangs of coach Dan Sageman have won two more games than they did last year, when they captured the Class 2A-1A North Region title.