Brockport Men's Soccer Season Ends on Penalty Kicks
BOXSCORE
For the third consecutive year, The College at Brockport Men’s Soccer team ended its season in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament and for the second straight year had the season end in either overtime or in Sunday’s case a penalty kick shootout. Brockport played Stevens Institute of Technology to a scoreless tie for regulation and both 10-minute overtime periods before the Ducks advanced in the NCAA Tournament with a 4-2 advantage in penalty kicks Sunday night at Stevens in Hoboken, NJ.
Brockport (13-4-2) advanced to the second round after a 1-0 decision over Manhattanville late Saturday night. Last year, the Golden Eagles beat New York University in the first round and fell to Merchant Marine Academy 3-2 in overtime. In 2009, Brockport defeated Ohio Northern in a first round game on penalty kicks but fell in the second round to Messiah College.
Stevens (17-2-1) entered the game on a 16-game win streak which was snapped with the tie but advances to face Amherst College in a third round matchup.
The Ducks had a stiff wind at their backs for the first half of action Sunday night and took advantage, producing good scoring chances but Brockport senior goalie Kyle Sauln (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) came up with seven saves to keep Stevens off the board.
In the closing minutes of the first half, Brockport applied intense pressure and had scoring chances late. With two corner kicks and two shots from just outside the 18-yard box but the Golden Eagles were unable to find the back of the net and the teams entered the intermission with no score.
In the second half with the wind at Brockport’s back, the Golden Eagles took advantage early with sustained pressure but Stevens was still able to fight free for some scoring opportunity runs up the field. With seven minutes left in the second half, a shot from inside the 18-yard box was punched over the top of the net by Sauln and out of trouble and the ensuing corner kick was also controlled by the Brockport goalie.
In the overtime periods, both teams looked a bit tired and the scoring opportunities were limited to just a couple. Stevens Tech. goalie Paul Killian made a diving save on a Chris O’Gorman (Wading River, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) header late in the second overtime.
In the penalty kick competition to determine which team would advance in the tournament, Bobby Ross (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) had his shot deflected into the cross bar by a diving Killian. After Stevens took a 1-0 lead in the kicks with a shot into the right side of the goal, Brian Duffy (Hilton, NY/Hilton) scored with a shot straight into the net after Killian had dove to his left. Stevens scored with another shot into the right side of the goal high and just under the cross bar before freshman Paul Altobelli (Rochester, NY/Gates-Chili) scored into the lower right corner of the net.
Stevens scored into the left side of the goal for a 3-2 advantage but senior Brian Humphrey (Bergen, NY/LeRoy) had his shot to the right saved by a diving Killian and the Ducks scored into the right side of the goal to clinch the 4-2 win in the penalty kicks.
