It was not exactly the type of game you’d expect from Muhlenberg men’s soccer.

For years, the Mules have been characterized by a stingy defense. Until Saturday’s epic 4-3 win against Haverford, they had allowed more than two goals in a Centennial Conference regular-season game only twice since 2005, both times in 3-1 losses. They had never played a CC game in which both teams scored at least three goals.

In fact, they hadn’t played any games with three goals on each side since 2004. To find the last 10 such games in team history, you’d have to go back 36 years:

• 2004 won vs. DeSales, 4-3
• 2000 won vs. Delaware Valley, 5-3
• 1995 tied Elizabethtown, 3-3
• 1992 won vs. Colorado College, 4-3 in overtime
• 1989 won vs. Scranton, 4-3
• 1987 tied Johns Hopkins, 3-3
• 1987 won vs. Allentown, 5-3
• 1981 tied FDU-Madison, 4-4
• 1980 tied Gettysburg, 4-4
• 1978 lost vs. Franklin & Marshall, 4-3

What made Saturday’s game even more memorable was that the Mules allowed three consecutive goals and trailed 3-1 before pulling off an improbable comeback, scoring three goals in the final 17:06.

“I’ve never experienced a game like that in my collegiate career, let alone in my entire soccer career,” commented senior back Oliver Katz.

As it turns out, neither has any Muhlenberg men’s soccer player in a long time. Although the Mules were undefeated in the last nine games on the above list, they did not face a two-goal deficit in any of them. They did come back from three one-goal deficits in the 2004 DeSales game, scoring the tying and winning goals in the last 7:06.

The available records prior to the mid-1980s do not list times of goals, only how many goals were scored in each half. The most recent possibility for the Mules to lose a lead, then overcome a two-goal deficit to win was a 1976 game against Moravian in which they trailed 2-1 at the half and won 5-4 in regulation.

“Once down 3-1, the chances of coming back to tie the score at 3-3, let alone win the game, did not seem realistic,” admitted Katz (right). “However, as play progressed, there was a feeling in the air that something would happen. We picked up the intensity, started playing as a team instead of trying to come back as individuals, and started to create chances. We knew one goal would come if we remained focused, and it was only a matter of time, which is what happened.”

Muhlenberg erased 2-0 second-half deficits to win 3-2 against Ursinus in 2001 and Johns Hopkins in 1999, the latter game coming when Hopkins was ranked third in Division III. As recently as 2010, they climbed out of a 2-0 hole to tie New Jersey, 2-2.

But what happened Saturday is special indeed. Then again, the 9-1-2 Mules, who had not played with a deficit all season before the Haverford game, have some special qualities.

“Through my first three years at Muhlenberg, we would not have come back,” noted Katz. “Our heads would’ve gone down and our response to losing a 1-0 lead would not have been positive.

“This team is resilient. We are a young team that has the ability to string goals together, so being down by two goals with 25 minutes left against a very good team is not as daunting a task as it might have been. Our chemistry this year is unbelievable, on and off the field. This resiliency, chemistry and talent level allowed us to come back.”

Volleyball: While men’s soccer played a high-scoring game on Saturday, volleyball was at the other end of the spectrum, winning its third set against Marymount by a score of 25-5.

Since 2008, when sets went from 30 to 25 points, it was only the fourth time the Mules held a team to five points or fewer in a set:

• 2014 vs. Marymount, 25-5 (third set)
• 2013 vs. Rust, 25-5 (third set)
• 2012 vs. NYU-Poly, 25-3 (second set)
• 2008 vs. Medaille, 25-5 (fourth set)

What makes Saturday’s accomplishment significant was that it came against a strong Marymount team that had a record of 22-5. By comparison, Rust was winless at the time of last year’s match, NYU-Poly finished 13-25 in 2012, and Medaille was 8-20 in 2008.

Football: Sophomore Nick Palladino extended his streak of passes without an interception this season to 195 in Saturday’s 47-6 win against Gettysburg.

No NCAA quarterback has thrown more passes this year without getting picked. In second place is top Heisman Trophy contender Marcus Mariotta of Oregon, with 188.

Muhlenberg is one of only 10 teams in all four NCAA Divisions (six in Division III, one in Division II, two in FCS and one in FBS) that has not thrown an interception this year.

Palladino wears number 14, and the reverse – 41 – came into play yet again when the Mules played Gettysburg, this time as the margin of victory. From 2000 to 2002, in a remarkable coincidence, the Mules blanked the Bullets by the same score (41-0) in three straight meetings. In 2003, Muhlenberg won 26-15 (41 total points). The margin might have been 41 again in 2006, but Muhlenberg returned a fumble for a touchdown as time expired and the extra point was not attempted, leaving the final score 54-14.