',
Men’s Soccer Advances to Championship Game after Shootout
November 8, 2008
Junior Tyler Shaw kicked the winning goal in the shootout.
The Keuka men’s soccer team advanced to the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Tournament championship game after knocking off #4 seeded SUNYIT in a shootout. The two teams tied 1-1 with Keuka advancing after winning 5-4 in penalty kicks.
The Storm now sit at 12-3-2 overall, still one game away from tying the school record of 13 wins. Keuka will now face the top-seeded University of Dallas at Penn State-Harrisburg at 1 pm tomorrow, Sunday, Nov. 9 for a birth into the NCAA Tournament. Dallas thumped #3 SUNY Cobleskill 6-0 in its semifinal match-up.
Keuka junior midfielder Tyler Shaw (Portville, N.Y./Portville) kicked the winning penalty kick in the shootout as the Wildcats final attempt nailed the crossbar.
After neither team was able to score in the opening half, SUNYIT grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 61st minute on a David Martin goal. The Wildcats Kevin Benjamin crossed the ball to Martin to pick up the assist.
With time running out in regulation and the Storm still trailing 1-0, Keuka’s scoring machine Brandon Scott (Fillmore, N.Y./Fillmore) tied the game off a rebound from a corner kick in the 82nd minute. The goal was Scott’s 16th of the year, two off the single-season school record.
The game would remain tied at the end of regulation and at the end of two overtime periods. In the
Junior Mike Meskill saved seven shots in goal and hit a crucial shot in the shootout.
shootout, Keuka’s Brian Cunliffe (Rochester, N.Y./Gates Chili), Scott, Nate Studgeon (Conklin, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley), and even goalie Mike Meskill (Trumansburg, N.Y./Chales O. Dickerson) converted on their shot. Shaw then put the pressure on SUNYIT with his goal, leaving the Wildcats in a must make situation. SUNYIT’s goalie took the shot that nailed the crossbar, giving the Storm the win.
Keuka out-shot SUNYIT 17-15 in the game as the two teams played a very physical game. SUNYIT recorded 25 fouls, two yellow cards, and a red card. Keuka committed 14 fouls, three yellow cards, and a red card.
Meskill ended with seven saves in goal while two SUNYIT goalies combined to save six shots.
