Geert Brusselers saw the target and hit it with a blast.

Too bad it happened to be the Target logo on the front of Minnesota Thunder goalkeeper Terry McNelis' jersey. Otherwise, the Calgary Mustangs would have had an overtime victory.

"Once again, if we don't score the goals, it's going to be difficult," said the midfielder after the scoreless A-League soccer draw. "I had a great chance on a great setup from Steffen (Holdt). Only the goalie made the corner small and I should have played it on the ground.

All of the Mustangs' good scoring chances yesterday at McMahon Stadium came in extra time, when Brusselers kicked his team's intensity up a level.

"Overall, we played a good game," he said. "We had the chances to score."

The 34-year-old midfielder came to Calgary with his young family for this season and delivered just what Mustangs coach Thomas Niendorf expected: Veteran leadership.

The 'Stangs have a 4-17-6 record but have played much better in recent weeks. Taking the Thunder, a team battling for the playoffs, to overtime means they're about to turn the corner.

The problem is Thursday's home contest against Milwaukee is the final game of Calgary's season and Brusselers' Canada adventure is nearly over. The affable Dutchman likely won't return next year to finish what he helped start because of the overseas travel.

"Calgary is great and I enjoyed the soccer," he said. "There's still lots to develop but the league doesn't go on for six months, so that means me and my family will go back to the Netherlands for six months."

Niendorf is hoping Brusselers will return, noting the Mustangs wouldn't have been the same without him.

"He brought his professional experience and conduct and really passed that on to our players," Niendorf said."