Friday's MAC Men's Soccer Results

Ryan Hurst's goal in the 12th minute of the match proved to be the only scoring in the contest, as Wofford College defeated the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team by a 1-0 final on Friday evening (Sept. 7).  The non-conference match, the first game in the Coastal Carolina University Invitational, was held at the CCU Soccer Field.With the win, the Terriers improve to 2-2-0 on the season, while dropping the Falcons to 1-2-1.

 

"Tonight was a tough night for us, and it was a disappointing performance," said BGSU head coach Eric Nichols.  "It starts with the coaches. We didn't have the guys prepared enough, and Wofford put us on our heels.  The coaches need to be better, the players need to be better and we need to be more effective with our work."

 

The lone goal of the match came when Hurst received a through ball from teammate Nestor Jaramillo and chipped a shot over BGSU junior Michael Wiest at the 11:18  mark.  That was all the offense Wofford 'keeper Andrew Drennan needed, as he made two saves to earn the shutout.

 

Wiest, a junior, had one stop in his complete-match effort for the Falcons.

 

Wofford enjoyed a 17-8 advantage in total shot attempts, but each side had only two shots on goal in the match.  Jaramillo led all players with six total shots on the evening, while sophomore Danny Baraldi paced the Brown and Orange with three shots.

 

"This match was disappointing in that we just didn't show what we can do," said Nichols.  "I can't fault our effort or our work, but our execution just wasn't good enough.  We let Wofford dictate the game too much, we played on our heels too much, and -- until the end -- we just didn't have enough urgency within our possession.  We need to better show our ability to keep the ball, move the ball and create chances ourselves.

 

"Again, I do feel like the guys worked hard, but we've got to work with a purpose. We have a big challenge on Sunday, and we will learn from tonight's game. Starting with the coaches, we will each look inside ourselves and think about what we can do better. We will have to be better on Sunday, and we will have to be better moving forward."

 

That Sunday match sees the Falcons remain in South Carolina to take on the host school, nationally-ranked CCU.  The Chanticleers are ranked 19th in the country in this week's NSCAA/Continental Tire poll.  Kickoff for Sunday's match is 2:30 p.m.

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The No. 6 University of Akron men's soccer team stayed unbeaten on the season after earning a 1-0 victory over No. 10 Indiana Friday night in the first game of the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament at Alumni Stadium.

 

Midfielder Eric Stevenson netted the game-winner in the 19th minute for the Zips, who improved to 3-0-1 on the year, and goalkeeper David Meves turned in perhaps his best performance on the season with four saves, including a pair of big stops in the second half.

 

With the victory, Akron claimed its third straight win against the Hoosiers (3-1-1), which suffered their first defeat of 2012, and improved to 3-1-1 against IU under seventh-year head coach Caleb Porter. The road-warrior Zips have been defeated just four times in their last 41 (31-4-6) regular-season road matches dating back to the 2008 season.

 

It was a dominant first half for UA, which out-shot Indiana, 7-5, and earned a 5-1 advantage for corner kicks. But the stats didn't tell the whole story as Akron was on the ball for the majority of the first 45 minutes, which was played mostly in Indiana's backfield.

 

DeAndre Yedlin created the Zips' first scoring chance early on by blowing through a trio of IU defenders and leaving the ball for Thomas Schmitt, whose shot was smothered by Indiana goalkeeper Luis Soffner. It was the first of seven saves on the night for senior netminder.

 

The Zips broke through minutes later however when Dillon Serna shook his mark in the left flank and cross the ball to Stevenson, who tucked his shot just inside the far right post from straight on. It was the second goal and game-winner of the season for Stevenson, who also opened the scoring in Akron's 4-0 win against Florida Gulf Coast on opening day. 

 

Yedlin nearly gave UA a 2-0 lead in the 41st minute with a rip from the top of the box that was headed for the upper right 90. But Soffner soared to his left to punch away the would-be goal.

 

UA survived a scare just before halftime when a turnover left Nikita Kotlov with space in front of the net. But the junior's shot banged off the right post and out of harm's way.

 

Indiana was more formidable in the second half but the Zips – led by a pair of great saves by Meves – were up to the task. In both cases, Meves turned away shots from Indiana's Eriq Zavaleta.

 

The first came in the 54th minute when Zavaleta intercepted a Zips' clearance and fired a shot from eight yards out that Meves punched over the net. Five minutes later, Meves got down to smother a low liner by Zavaleta to preserve Akron's lead.

 

For the match, Akron out-shot Indiana, 15-11, including an 8-4 edge on-frame. The Zips also posted a 9-7 edge in corner kicks.

 

ONEONTA, NY – Goals were flying in at an alarming rate in the second half for Hartwick on Friday night in the opening match of the 2012 Mayor's Cup. The Hawks scored four times in a 9:45 span to pull away from visiting St. Bonaventure to earn their first win of the season. 'Wick improves to 1-1-2 overall while the Bonnies slip to 0-5.

           

After a scoreless first half, the Hawks spotted the visitors the lead 2:18 into the second session. A Brad Vanino corner kick eluded Hartwick keeper Mateo Munarriz (Manizales, Colombia/Colegio Granadino) and Garrett Pasono got his head on the ball. Two Hawk defenders each got a piece of the ball but could not keep it out of the goal and the Bonnies drew first blood.

           

The Hawks wasted little time evening the match as freshman David Styles (Bognor Regis, England) broke into the box and was fouled resulting in a penalty kick just 2:52 later. Styles stepped up and struck a hard, low shot that beat Bonnies' keeper Ben Cowman to his left to even the score at 1-1.

           

The game would remain tied until the 78th minute. A corner from Styles was swung into the box and senior back Russell Oost-Lievense (Westport, CT/Staples HS) won the challenge with Cowman and knocked the ball down. Sophomore back Ross MacKinnon (Glasgow, Scotland/Jordanhill School) floated a shot from just inside the box up and over a pair of Bonnies defenders and in to put 'Wick ahead to stay.

           

The Hawks weren't finished. Just 2:42 later Hartwick cushioned its lead as freshman back Jack Miller (Commack, NY/Commack HS) tallied his first collegiate goal. Styles started the play as his hard shot forced a save from Cowman but Miller was there to tuck the ball away for the 3-1 edge.

           

Fifty-nine seconds after Miller's tally, Nathaniel Horton (Stowe, NY) sent a pretty through ball right on the foot of senior forward Cleyon Brown (Kingston, Jamaica/Berkshire School). He broke in alone with Cowman and made no mistake, beating him low to his right for a 4-1 edge.

           

Horton got one of his own with 2:53 remaining in the game. In the Bonnies' box, he made a quick move around a defender and blasted a far-post effort from 12 yards away for his first goal in a Hartwick jersey and the night's final tally.

           

Hartwick closed the match with a 19-9 edge in shots, including a huge 14-6 margin in the second half. Munarriz mad three saves in the contest. Cowman had two stops for St. Bonaventure.

           

In the nightcap, Syracuse rolled to a 4-0 shutout win over New Jersey Institute of Technology. Jordan Murrell had a goal and an assist for the Orange. Skylar Thomas, Tony Asante, and Nick Perea also tallied for Syracuse which held a large territorial advantage throughout the night. The Orange outshot the Highlanders 14-4 and took 12 of the game's 13 corners.

           

Play resumes on Sunday with St. Bonaventure playing Syracuse at 12 p.m. Hartwick then hosts NJIT to wrap up the tournament. The Hawks enter Sunday in first place on the tournament's third tie-breaker (goals scored).

 

BUFFALO, NY - Highlighted by a furious offensive outburst in the final 20 minutes of the game, the Buffalo men's soccer team ended its four-game home stand Friday night with a 2-1 loss to Detroit (2-3). The game was largely uneventful through the first 73 minutes, before all three of the game's goals were tallied. Joey Merlo scored the team's goal, while Jon Viscosi made six saves.

 

The first half passed without much fanfare, with Viscosi scooping up three saves and the Bulls (1-3-1) offense mustering just two shots while the Titans put up 10. In the fourth minute, Richard Craven put a well-placed corner kick on the head of Risto Laetti, but the senior's header went just inches wide of the near post, capping the team's best opportunity of the first 45.

 

As has been the case for the Bulls all season to this point, the halftime adjustments helped to spur a reinvigorated offense. Through the season's first five games, Buffalo has attempted 45 shots in the second half compared to just 18 in the first.

 

The game began to hit a feverish pitch in the 59th minute, when a hard-charging attempt to clear away the ball at the top of the 18-yard box by Viscosi drew a penalty kick attempt for the visitors. The senior earned a bit of redemption and had the bench on its feet after he made the huge save on the penalty that preserved the scoreless tie. Detroit's Moustafa Bazzi tried to go low right with a ground ball on frame that was pushed clear for a corner kick.

 

Luck would run out on the UB defense in the 74th minute, though, with the Titans opening the scoring. After a Detroit corner kick, the ball wasn't cleared away well enough and ended up on the foot of Kevin Pinkos, who had taken the corner kick. He took the ball up to the left edge of the 18-yard box and bent a short cross into the box for 6-foot-6-inch Titan Adam Bedell, who put his header home for the score. The Bulls nearly managed an instant answer, with Marek Albert finding an opening from the top of the 18-yard box for a cracking head-on attempt that was pushed away.

 

Detroit would add to the lead just under five minutes later after an attempted clear from Viscosi and an ensuing scrum at the top of the box would lead to a wide-open opportunity for Detroit's Matt Harkema in the 78th minute.

 

This time, though, the Bulls attempt to answer back would be successful and swift. On the opening kickoff following the Titan goal, Buffalo's Patrick Ryan took the ball on the right side and beat his defender to goal. He then possessed it long enough for his teammates to make their runs into the box. After a patient moment, Ryan crossed the ball to the low left post and found the boot of Joey Merlo, who beat the turned-around goalkeeper low and injected new life into the attack.

 

In the 84th minute, a red card against Matthew Chereson would saddle the Bulls with a man disadvantage. Despite that fact, the Bulls remained on the attack until the closing seconds, when Detroit's counter attack killed off the remaining opportunity.

 

"I thought we did enough to win the game, we had our chances, we moved and possessed the ball and had shots. It's tough to play against a team that's so direct and good off of set pieces," head coach David Hesch said. "Jon stepped up big to stop that penalty kick and our defense stepped up but we fell asleep and lost track of runners and it was just them being taller than us at the end of the day."

 

It was a physical game, with 29 combined fouls and four yellow cards, including a double yellow against Chereson. After being out shot 10-2 in the first half, the Bulls matched Detroit with 10 second-half attempts.

 

After four straight home games, the team will now have three on the road. First will be Cornell this Sunday at 4 pm, with games at NJIT and Stony Brook to follow.

 

 

DEKALB, Ill. -- The Northern Illinois men’s soccer team played to a scoreless draw with Rhode Island on Friday afternoon in the NIU adidas Invitational. The Huskies allowed just one shot on goal in 110 minutes of play but were unable to find the net on the other end as the match finished even. 

 

“Rhode Island is a decent team,” said NIU head coach Eric Luzzi. “They made it hard for us at times. They try to play and they have some good players, but they also aren’t afraid to mix it up and drive some balls at the backline. I thought our guys dealt with that stuff pretty well.’

 

NIU senior goalkeeper Jordan Godsey (Ocean Springs, Miss./Ocean Springs) recorded the 27th shutout of his career against the Rams, breaking a school-record previously held by Markus Roy (1988-91).  

 

The best chance of the first half fell to sophomore miefielder Isaac Kannah (Plymouth, Min./Prairie Seeds Academy) in the 18th minute. Sophomore forward Paul Hogan (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove/North) played Kannah in all alone on the goalkeeper just inside the 18-yard box. Kannah’s shot looked like it would open the scoring but Rhode Island goalkeeper Thomas Spenser made a diving save to keep the game scoreless.

 

Northern Illinois (0-2-1) had another opportunity from freshman Gabe Christianson (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy) in the 38th minute. After good buildup play down the left side, Christianson found himself eight yards from goal but sent his shot just wide of the right post.

 

At the intermission, the Huskies held a 6-3 advantage in shots, including a 3-1 edge in shots on target. 

 

A breakthrough looked as though it might come in the 74th minute on a chance by junior James Stevenson (Falkirk, Scotland/St. Mungo’s). Sophomore midfielder Jabari Danzy (Park Forest, Ill./Marian Catholic) crossed a ball in from the right and Stevenson met it with a flashing header just over the top of the crossbar. 

 

NIU had another chance three minutes later when a foul setup a free kick in a dangerous position just outside of the Rhode Island (0-2-2) penalty area. Junior Karim Darbaki (Crystal, Minn./Shattuck St. Mary’s) stepped up to take the opportunity and forced a good save from Spenser in goal. 

 

After 90 minutes, the Huskies had outshot the Rams 13-4. 

 

In the dying moments of the first overtime session, sophomore Dusty Page (Germantown, Wis./ Kettle Moraine Lutheran) had a chance from inside the area off a long throw, but his effort sailed over the crossbar. 

 

NIU finished the match with a 17-6 edge in shots and a 6-1 advantage in shots on goal. 

 

“I just told the guys that other than not scoring a goal, I have nothing negative to say,” said Luzzi. “We moved the ball well, we had the lion’s share of possession, we had the lion’s share of the chances. We forced their goalkeeper into two very good saves. We did everything right today except score a goal and, at the end of the day, that is the game sometimes.”

 

Northern Illinois returns to action on Sunday, Sept. 9, when it hosts Drake in the final game of the NIU adidas Invitational. Game time against the Bulldogs is scheduled for 2 p.m.

 

Coastal Carolina 0, Florida Atlantic 0
MYRTLE BEACH, SC - The Florida Atlantic men's soccer team dropped a 2-0 decision to #18 Coastal Carolina at their tournament Friday night.

The Chanticleers got goals in the 27th and 77th minutes against keeper Jeremy Crumpton. The Owls only managed five shots in the match (including two by substitute Roberto Rivera) to drop to 1-3 on the season.

FAU continues play in the tournament on Sunday against Wofford. Game time is at 2 p.m.