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Men’s Soccer Eliminated from NEAC Tournament
October 27, 2012
Sophomore Austin Gerber scored in the second half, but it wasn't enough as the Keuka men's soccer team suffered a season-ending 3-1 loss at SUNYIT Saturday (photo courtesy of Ed Webber, Keuka College Sports Information Department).
Sophomore Austin Gerber (Churchville, NY/Churchville-Chili) scored his sixth goal of the season, but the Keuka College men’s soccer team couldn’t overcome a 3-0 deficit and fell at SUNYIT, 3-1 Saturday afternoon in Marcy, N.Y.
With the loss, the Storm (7-8, 5-5 North Eastern Athletic Conference) is eliminated from the upcoming NEAC postseason tournament.
Needing a victory over SUNYIT (9-7-1, 6-3-1) to punch their ticket to the postseason tournament, the Storm allowed a 13th minute goal to Luke Bogar, but kept the deficit at 1-0 heading into halftime.
The Wildcats extended their lead to 2-0 on a 30-yard blast from Matthew Wilday, then took a 3-0 lead when Wilday found Matt Arcidiacono outside of the left portion of the penalty box for a score in the 64th minute.
Keuka finally got on the scoreboard in the 84th minute when Gerber ripped home his direct kick, but the Storm couldn’t get any closer and suffered their first sub-.500 season since the 1999 squad went 7-10.
Freshman Preston Vick (Kendall, NY/Kendall) stopped five shots in the loss. Keuka was outshot 19-14, including 11-7 in the second half.
In a physical contest, SUNYIT was called for 17 fouls compared to just six for the Green and Gold.
This was the final contest for seniors Ron Burd (Penn Yan, NY/Penn Yan), Reis Cunningham (Red Creek, NY/Red Creek), Frank Iacovangelo (Rochester, NY/Aquinas), John Mastrella (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena), Kyle Rivera (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads), Justin Ryan (Berkshire, NY/Newark Valley) and Nate Smith (Hilton, NY/Hilton).
Men’s Soccer Falls on Senior Day
October 20, 2012
Keuka College's men's soccer team honored seven seniors before Saturday's Senior Day contest with SUNY Canton. The Storm suffered a 1-0 loss on Saturday (photo courtesy of Erik Holmes, Keuka College Sports Information Department).
The Keuka College men’s soccer team only allowed one goal during Saturday’s Senior Day home game with SUNY Canton, but it was enough to send the Storm to their third straight loss.
Keuka (7-6) suffered a 1-0 setback to Canton (7-7-1) on a picturesque fall afternoon at the Jephson Community Athletic Complex.
SUNY Canton scored the only goal of the contest with 10 minutes remaining in the first half. Keelon Jospeh played a cross to Shane Powell, who scored towards the far post in the 35th minute.
Before the game started, seniors Ron Burd (Penn Yan, NY/Penn Yan), Reis Cunningham (Red Creek, NY/Red Creek), Frank Iacovangelo (Rochester, NY/Aquinas), John Mastrella (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena), Kyle Rivera (Horseheads, NY/Horsehead), Justin Ryan (Berkshire, NY/Newark Valley) and Nate Smith (Hilton, NY/Hilton) were honored for their hard work and dedication towards the Storm men’s soccer program
This group helped Keuka post a 33-22 record with three straight appearances in the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) postseason tournament, including a semifinal appearance in 2010. For the last two years, Cunningham and Smith have also co-captained the Green and Gold.
Smith had a decent look on goal in the 15th minute. He received a pass outside the 18 and attempted a bicycle kick from the center of the field, but Canton keeper William Banahene came up with the save.
Before breaking through for their first goal, the Roos had two good looks on goal on back-to-back shots in the 33rd minute. But each time Canton fired on freshman goalie Preston Vick (Kendall, NY/Kendall), Burd got between the shot and the goal and blocked the scoring effort.
The score remained 1-0 heading into halftime, when Keuka held its Parents’ Day festivities.
Sophomore Austin Gerber (Churchville, NY/Churchville-Chili) had two good looks on goal in the second half. Just ninety seconds into the second, Gerber got free and ripped a shot from six yards out, but Banahene was there for the save.
Sixteen minutes later, Gerber brought the ball across midfield and fired a shot from 30 yards that sailed just wide of net with 27:55 remaining.
Vick kept the deficit at one with a nifty save in the 67th minute. Ashley Butterworth fired a shot from 20 yards out that Vick initially stopped. While falling to the ground, Vick kept his composure and pulled down the loose ball to keep the score 1-0.
But the Keuka attack never could net the equalizer and lost for the fourth time during the six-game homestand. Vick finished with four saves for Keuka, which was outshot 16-10.
The Green and Gold have two North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) road games remaining: at 6 p.m. Tuesday night against Morrisville State, and at 3 p.m. Oct. 27 against SUNYIT.
The NEAC postseason tournament begins Oct. 31, with the top five teams qualifying. Keuka (5-3 NEAC) currently sits in a tie for fifth-place with SUNYIT.
Senior Day Saturday for Men’s Soccer
October 19, 2012
Keuka College's men's soccer team will honor seven senior student-athletes before Saturday's Senior Day home game against SUNY Canton (photo courtesy of Ed Webber, Keuka College Sports Information Department).
The Keuka College men’s soccer team will honor seven senior student-athletes during Saturday afternoon’s non-conference home game against SUNY Canton, starting at 3 p.m. at the Jephson Community Athletic Complex.
Seniors Ron Burd (Penn Yan, NY/Penn Yan), Reis Cunningham (Red Creek, NY/Red Creek), Frank Iacovangelo (Rochester, NY/Aquinas), John Mastrella (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena), Kyle Rivera (Horseheads, NY/Horsehead), Justin Ryan (Berkshire, NY/Newark Valley) and Nate Smith (Hilton, NY/Hilton) will be honored before the game for their hard work and dedication towards the Storm men’s soccer program.
This group helped Keuka post a 33-22 record with three straight appearances in the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) postseason tournament, including a semifinal appearance in 2010. For the last two years, Cunningham and Smith have also co-captained the Green and Gold.
Mastrella (26 career goals) ranks eighth while Smith (24G) is tied for ninth on Keuka’s all-time scoring list, while Mastrella (60 points) and Smith (59) currently rank ninth and 10th, respectively, in career points.
Smith, who leads the Storm in goals (nine) and points (23) is third and Mastrella (eight goals) is tied for fourth among goal scorers in the NEAC, while Vick is the co-leader with four shutouts, is second in saves percentage (.818) and fourth in goals-against average (1.32).
The Storm hopes to get back in the win column vs. Canton after dropping a 2-0 decision at home to Elmira College Tuesday night. Keuka limited Elmira, the fourth-highest scoring team in the country, to just two goals, nearly a goal and a half below Elmira’s average entering the contest.
Keuka (7-5 overall) blanked one of the nation’s most potent attacks for nearly 51 minutes, but could only manage two shots (one shot on goal) and dropped its second straight non-conference game.
Freshman Preston Vick (Kendall, NY/Kendall) stopped a career-most 12 shots in the loss, besting his previous saves total by three.
As part of the Storm’s recent “Count on Me” Campaign, Keuka’s student-athletes are invited to participate in a “Green Out” during Saturday’s Senior Day game. All student-athletes are asked to wear their green “Count on Me” t-shirts to the contest as a sign of solidarity among the 16 intercollegiate sports teams on campus.
SUNY Canton (6-7-1) has won three of its last four after starting the season 3-6-1. The Roos have been outscored 20-19. In 10 of their 14 contests, the game has resulted in a shutout, with Canton going 5-5 in those games.
Abdulai Jagana leads the Roos in goals (five), assists (three) and points (13).
Keuka is also planning on holding “Green Out” events during the women’s volleyball match with Morrisville State (Oct. 27) and the basketball doubleheader vs. Morrisville State (Dec. 5). Keuka’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is responsible for organizing the selected “Green Out” events.
Men’s Soccer Slows Elmira’s Attack, Falls 2-0
October 16, 2012
Freshman Preston Vick made a career-high 12 saves during Tuesday night's 2-0 home loss to Elmira College (photo courtesy of Erik Holmes, Keuka College Sports Information Department).
The Keuka College men’s soccer team held Elmira College, the fourth-highest scoring team in the country, to just two goals, but the Storm suffered a 2-0 defeat on a chilly Tuesday night at the Jephson Community Athletic Complex.
The Storm (7-5 overall) limited the Eagles (11-4) to just two goals, and blanked one of the nation’s most potent attacks for nearly 51 minutes, thanks to strong play from seniors Justin Ryan (Berkshire, NY/Newark Valley), Reis Cunningham (Red Creek, NY/Red Creek) and Ron Burd (Penn Yan, NY/Penn Yan) as well as junior Nate Schreiber (Hilton, NY/Hilton) and freshman Brandon Lange (Churchville, NY/Churchville-Chili).
But Keuka could only manage two shots (one shot on goal) and dropped its second straight non-conference game.
Elmira entered the contest averaging 3.43 goals per game, the fourth-highest scoring attack in the country. Elmira has now outscored its opponents 50-21 through 15 games.
The Eagles took a 1-0 lead on a score in the eighth minute on the first of Alexander Poole’s two goals. Poole fired a shot from 10 yards out that deflected off a player’s leg and into the far corner of the goal.
Elmira’s defense clamped down and held the Storm to only one shot on goal in the first half. That shot belonged to senior Nate Smith (Hilton, NY/Hilton), who missed from 10 yards out.
In the 23rd minute, Elmira’s Doug Adjei dribbled into the box and caught Vick out of position, but a clutch play by Ryan kept the deficit at one goal as Ryan backed up Vick and deflected Adjei’s shot wide of net.
Two minutes later, Elmira’s Tre Ming had a free kick that soared towards the near post, but Vick leapt to his right to make the save.
The Eagles extended their lead to 2-0 with 5:37 left in the half. Poole took a free kick from 20 yards out and scored into the far corner of the goal as Elmira took a 2-0 lead into halftime.
Vick came up with two more clutch saves early in the second half, denying Andre Germano (11 goals coming into the contest) in the 53rd minute, and again Ryan Limero in the 58th minute. On Limero’s blast, which was sent towards the near post, Vick punched the shot high over the bar to keep it a 2-0 game.
Vick finished with a career-high 12 saves, besting his previous career-high by three saves.
The Storm return to action with a 3 p.m. home game Saturday afternoon against SUNY Canton. The game will serve as both Parents’ Day and Senior Day for the eight seniors on the team.
Mastrella, Gerber Score in Shutout of Wells
September 15, 2012
Sophomore Austin Gerber scored in the second half as the Keuka College men's soccer team blanked NEAC rival Wells College, 2-0 Saturday (photo courtesy of Ed Webber, Keuka College Sports Information Department).
Senior forward John Mastrella (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) and sophomore Austin Gerber (Rochester, NY/Churchville-Chili) each scored goals and a stout defense blanked Wells College as Keuka College’s men’s soccer team picked up a 2-0 win Saturday afternoon in Aurora, N.Y.
Mastrella, the reigning North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Offensive Player of the Week, staked the Storm (4-1, 2-1 NEAC) to a 1-0 lead in the 39th minute.
After both teams failed to score during the opening 38 minutes, following a scrum in front of the goal, Mastrella, who now has seven goals on the year, collected a loose ball and put Keuka up 1-0.
The teams played a scoreless remainder of the first half before senior co-captain Nate Smith (Hilton, NY/Hilton) helped Keuka tack on that all-important insurance goal. Smith, who now has three goals and four assists on the season, slotted a through ball to Gerber, who finished for his first score of the season in the 56th minute.
Led by seniors Reis Cunningham (Red Creek, NY/Red Creek) and Ron Burd (Penn Yan, NY/Penn Yan), junior Justin Ryan (Berkshire, NY/Dryden) and freshman Brandon Lange (Rochester, NY/Churchville-Chili), the Storm picked up its second consecutive shutout win.
Freshman Preston Vick (Kendall, NY/Kendall) made six saves in the win.
Wells falls to 3-3, 1-2 NEAC.
Keuka is off until the weekend, when it travels to Penn State-Harrisburg for a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Sept. 22 and to Gallaudet for a 2 p.m. contest Sunday, Sept. 23.
Mastrella’s Banner Game Sparks Men’s Soccer
September 1, 2012
Senior John Mastrella scored a career-best four goals to lift Keuka's men's soccer team to a 4-2 win over D'Youville College Saturday afternoon (photo courtesy of Ed Webber, Keuka College Sports Information Department).
BOXSCORE
Sometimes, an athlete gets hot and feels like he or she can do whatever they set their mind to on the field.
For senior forward John Mastrella (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena), Saturday’s contest against D’Youville College, part of the Keuka Lakefront Classic, was one of those days, and his teammates recognized and did their part to set up their dynamic goal-scorer.
Mastrella scored a career-best four goals to carry Keuka to a 4-2 win over D’Youville in the last of four Lakefront Classic games, played at the Jephson Community Athletic Complex.
With the exception of a summer league game, it was Mastrella’s first-ever four-goal game, and the first hat trick of his collegiate career.
“I felt good today, my team was really confident in the way I was playing and I’m just thrilled,” said Mastrella, who has five goals and an assist in the Storm’s first two games.
“My teammates played some great balls and I was fortunate enough to finish them. This is a huge win, it really puts us in a good position and it will motivate us to keep working hard.”
Mastrella, a second-team All-North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) selection as a junior, scored twice on headers in the first half to stake the Storm (2-0) to a 2-0 lead.
Keuka struck first in the 12th minute. Junior Nate Schreiber (Hilton, NY/Hilton) played a cross into the box for Mastrella, who sent home a header for a 1-0 lead. On the second tally, senior defender Justin Ryan (Berkshire, NY/Dryden) played a beautiful long ball into the box for Mastrella, who sent his header high over the keeper’s head for a 2-0 edge.
The Spartans (0-2) answered with 9:30 left in the first half, and knotted the score five minutes later as the game went into intermission tied at 2.
Keuka came out hot in the second half with a furry of shots on net, starting with a deep blast from sophomore Austin Gerber (Rochester, NY/ Churchville) that just missed its mark.
Moments later, Gerber passed a ball into freshman midfielder Matt Hey (Canandaigua, NY/ Marcus Whitman), who headed a shot towards the goal before it was deflected out of harms way. Mastrella’s rebound shot struck the bottom of the cross bar, where freshman Ben Schreiber (Hilton, NY/Hilton) fired a 12-yard shot, but once again the D’Youville defense held.
Mastrella put the Green and Gold ahead for good in the 69th minute, sending a free kick from 20 yards into the far corner of the goal for his first career collegiate hat trick.
But Mastrella wasn’t done yet. He added an insurance goal in the 82nd minute, when Hey beat his defender and tapped a pass to Mastrella, who beat the keeper to finish the scoring.
Hey, Nate Schreiber and Ryan each had assists while freshman Preston Vick (Kendall, NY/Kendall) made five saves for his second win. With the Green and Gold clinging to a 3-2 lead with 12:30 remaining, Vick made a crucial save, diving to his left to preserve the lead.
“This is a huge team effort and we fought back today,” said Mastrella, who received a rousing ovation when he came off the field with five minutes remaining.
“We knew it was going to take a lot of character to come back, and I think the biggest part about our team is we’re a family and everyone’s starting to gel together. We’re working hard in practice and it shows in our games. It was a good game for everyone.”
Keuka opens NEAC play with a pair of home games, taking on Penn State-Abington at 3 p.m. on Sept. 8, followed by a 3 p.m. clash with Penn State-Berks on Sept. 9.
Seniors Spark Season-Opening Win for MSOC
August 31, 2012
Senior Nate Smith scored the game-winning goal and added an assist to spark Keuka's men's soccer team to a season-opening, 2-1 win over Pitt-Bradford Friday night in the Keuka College Lakefront Classic (photo courtesy of Ed Webber, Keuka College Sports Information Department).
BOXSCORE
Seniors John Mastrella (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) and Nate Smith (Hilton, NY/Hilton) each scored a goal and added an assist as the Keuka College men’s soccer team overcame a penalty kick goal to defeat the University of Pitt-Bradford 2-1 Friday night in the Lakefront Classic at Keuka.
It was eerily reminiscent of the 2011 season opener, when both Smith and Mastrella netted goals to lead the Storm past Pitt-Bradford in overtime by an identical 2-1 score.
The Storm (1-0) missed several good opportunities to score in the first half, as both Smith and sophomore Austin Gerber (Rochester, NY/Churchville-Chili) had open looks on goal. Smith had his header land just shy of the net, and Gerber’s 18-yard blast of a free kick was on-target but punched away by Pitt-Bradford keeper Adam Forster.
The best chance came with 15 seconds left in the half. Smith was awarded a penalty kick for a hand ball in the box, but Forster made a diving save to his left to deny Smith, one of Keuka’s co-captains.
The game was scoreless into the 64th minute, when Travis Herr converted a penalty kick to stake the Panthers (0-1) to a 1-0 lead. It took Keuka less than four minutes to respond with the equalizer. Mastrella helped the Storm retaliate, sending a header feed from Smith into the goal to tie it with 23:30 remaining.
Utilizing the same Smith-Mastrella connection, Keuka took the lead for good in the 83rd minute. Mastrella chased down a through ball along the near side of the field and pushed a shot towards the net, where the Panthers defense denied the shot. Moments later, a streaking Smith bore down on the loose ball and converted to put the Green and Gold ahead to stay.
The seniors played a huge role in the opener, in all aspects of the game. Freshman Preston Vick (Kendall, NY) started his first collegiate game and made two saves, but had plenty of help from his defensive mates.
Three seniors: Ron Burd (Penn Yan, NY/Penn Yan), Justin Ryan (Berkshire, NY/Dryden) and Reis Cunningham (Red Creek, NY, Red Creek) stepped up and limited the Pitt-Bradford attack as Keuka prevailed in its opener.
“I think they (the seniors) did an outstanding job, they played really outstanding today,” Keuka head coach Matt Tantalo said after eking out another one-goal win over Pitt-Bradford.
The Lakefront Classic continues on Saturday, as Wells College (1-0) and Pitt-Bradford play at 2:30 p.m., followed by the Green and Gold hosting D’Youville (0-1) at 5 p.m.
Keuka handed D’Youville a 3-0 setback on Sept. 14, 2011.
The Lakefront Classic begins a period of four straight home games to open the season for Keuka, which plays its NEAC opener at home at 3 p.m. Sept. 8 against Penn State-Abington, followed with a 3 p.m. home clash against Penn State-Berks on Sept. 9.
2012 Men’s Soccer Preview
August 30, 2012
Ron Burd is one of seven seniors returning to Keuka's men's soccer team in 2012. With a deep, senior-laden squad, the Storm expect to contend for a NEAC title (photo courtesy of Ed Webber, Keuka College Sports Information Department).
By John Boccacino/Sports Information Director: Since taking over the Keuka College men’s soccer program eight years ago, head coach Matt Tantalo has molded the Storm into perennial powers in the North Eastern Athletic Conference.
Keuka has posted a winning record in each of the last 12 seasons, and with a deep and talented stable of experienced returners, Tantalo’s squad seems poised to once again be among the best in the NEAC.
Six of the Storm’s top seven scorers return from last season’s squad that went 8-5-3 overall and 5-4-2 in the NEAC before falling in the quarterfinals to Lancaster Bible College.
This will be a senior-laden group, as Tantalo returns seven seniors, led by third-team All-Region midfielder/forward Nate Smith (Hilton, NY/Hilton), who led the Green and Gold in goals (eight) and points (20) while placing second in assists (four). Smith earned first-team All-NEAC for his efforts during his junior season, when Keuka earned the No. 4 seed in the NEAC postseason tournament.
Smith is one of four returners who garnered all-NEAC honors in 2011. Freshman Austin Gerber (Rochester, NY/Churchville-Chili) was named the NEAC’s inaugural Rookie of the Year and a first-team All-NEAC selection after scoring two goals with two assists.
Senior forward John Mastrella (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) earned second-team All-NEAC after tying for the team lead with eight goals, and his 17 points was the second-highest total behind Smith. Mastrella led Keuka with seven goals against NEAC foes, including scoring two goals during games against Gallaudet, Penn State-Harrisburg and SUNY Cobleskill.
Junior Nate Schreiber (Hilton, NY/Hilton), who scored two goals and handed out five assists, gives Tantalo more depth at the midfield position than in any of his previous seven seasons.
Seniors Kyle Rivera (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads), Frank Iacovangelo (Rochester, NY/Aquinas), junior Jose Cervantes (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) and sophomore David Caramella (Oswego, NY/Oswego) provide valuable depth for Tantalo.
“Our big strength should be how we’ve got some really good pieces to play with on the attack, maybe some of the best we’ve had in my time here,” said Tantalo, who sports a 67-40-10 record (.615 winning percentage) in his first seven seasons.
“We have one of our more technical groups and we’ll definitely possess the ball more with this group. We have some dynamic players in the midfield with good vision and distribution, we have pace up wide and up top, and we have the ingredients to have a really good attacking group.”
Senior Reis Cunningham (Red Creek, NY/Red Creek), a member of the defense, earned third-team All-NEAC honors and returns to key the defense, which lost junior goalie Derek Condon (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas), a second-team All-NEAC selection, to a full-time police academy job in Virginia.
While losing Condon hurts, Tantalo has confidence his team can survive the departure. Gerber, who excelled his freshman year as a midfielder, has been working with Tantalo and goalie coach Jon MacKerchar in goal, and Tantalo likes what he’s seen from the athletic Gerber, whom Tantalo feels can handle the rigors of playing in net.
Solid team defense will once again be the motto for the Storm, which returns Cunningham, seniors Ron Burd (Penn Yan, NY/Penn Yan) and Justin Ryan (Berkshire, NY/Dryden), junior Frank Koehler (Bath, NY/Bath) and sophomore John Bourgeois (Rochester, NY/Irondequoit).
Newcomer Brandon Lange (Rochester, NY/Churchville-Chili) will slide into the final starting role on defense alongside Cunningham, Ryan and Burd, said Tantalo.
Among the other freshmen, Tantalo expects steady production from midfielders Ben Schreiber (Hilton, NY/Hilton), Matt Hey (Canandaigua, NY/Marcus Whitman), Richie Weit (Rochester, NY/Churchville-Chili) and Alex Post (Spencer, NY/Spencer-Van Etten), forward Jake Altman (East Rochester, NY/East Rochester) and defender Tim Sheridan (Syracuse, NY/Westhill).
Additionally, Tantalo said he plans to work freshman Preston Vick (Kendall, NY/Kendall) into the mix in goal.
For the second straight year, Smith and Cunningham will captain the Green and Gold.
The Storm’s quest for a 13th consecutive winning campaign will kick off with the two-day, four-team Keuka College Lakefront Classic, held Friday and Saturday at the Jephson Community Athletic Complex.
Keuka opens the 2012 season against the University of Pitt-Bradford at 6:30 p.m. Friday night in the second of four Keuka Lakefront Classic contests. Wells College and D’Youville College square off at 4 p.m. in the tournament’s first game.
On Saturday, Wells and Pitt-Bradford play at 2:30 p.m., followed by the Green and Gold hosting D’Youville at 5 p.m. Keuka defeated Pitt-Bradford 2-1 in overtime during the 2011 season opener and handed D’Youville a 3-0 setback on Sept. 14, 2011.
Live stats of all home soccer games can be accessed at www.KeukaStorm.com/live-stats.
The Lakefront Classic begins a period of four straight home games to open the season for Keuka, which plays its NEAC opener at home at 3 p.m. Sept. 8 against Penn State-Abington, followed with a 3 p.m. home clash against Penn State-Berks on Sept. 9.
After a three-game road trip to Wells, Penn State-Harrisburg and Gallaudet University, the Storm returns home for a pivotal six-game homestand from Sept. 28 through Oct. 20, beginning with a 7 p.m. match against Lancaster Bible College, the team that eliminated Keuka from the 2011 NEAC postseason tournament with a 2-0 setback in the quarterfinals.
During that stretch, Keuka hosts Cazenovia at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 2, SUNY Cobleskill at 3 p.m. Oct. 6, Alfred University at 7 p.m. Oct. 10, Elmira College at 7 p.m. Oct. 16 and SUNY Canton at 3 p.m. Oct. 20. Elmira appears to be the toughest non-conference clash, as the Soaring Eagles finished runners-up in the always-competitive Empire 8 Conference.
After taking on Morrisville State at 6 p.m. Oct. 23, Keuka closes out the regular season against rival SUNYIT (9-6-4, 8-0-3 NEAC), the regular-season champions and two-time defending postseason champions who fell to Western New England College, 1-0 in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament.
The NEAC tournament starts Oct. 31 and runs through Nov. 4, with the winner earning the conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA’s. Keuka last won the NEAC postseason tournament in 2007.
“If we can play up to our standard as far as how we defend collectively, we’re going to have a very successful season,” Tantalo said. “We’re excited about where we are right now. This has been one of the best pre-seasons that we’ve had, we’re ready to play and looking forward to the weekend. We know if we continue working hard and can get better each day, we’re going to be there in the end competing for the championship.”
For the latest stories, schedules and results from Keuka athletics, visit www.KeukaStorm.com or go to the Keuka Athletics Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/KeukaStorm.
Men’s Soccer Gets Big Win
October 13, 2011
Junior Nate Smith notched the game-winner off a flying header with 15 minutes to play as Keuka defeated Wells College 2-1 (Photo by Lauren Schreyack, Keuka Sports Information Department).
Before every home game, junior Nate Smith (Hilton, NY/Hilton) makes sure to practice his flying header shots on the practice field adjacent to the Jephson Community Athletic Complex.
Smith calls the play, where he runs at a full sprint towards the goal and propels himself at the ball for a well-struck header attempt, his favorite play in all of soccer, and during Thursday night’s critical home game against North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) rival Wells College, Smith’s favorite play helped lead the Storm to a 2-1 win over the Express.
On a rain-drenched field, Keuka (7-3-1, 4-3 NEAC) had taken an early 1-0 lead on a goal from sophomore midfielder Frank Iacovangelo (Rochester, NY/Aquinas) in the 35th minute. The Express countered with the equalizer halfway through the second half before Smith and sophomore Nate Schreiber (Hilton, NY/Hilton) hooked up on Smith’s favorite play for the winning goal.
Schreiber played an accurate cross into Smith, who was making a full run from midfield towards the goal. Just like he practiced it, Smith left his feet, leapt into the pass and delivered a header that found the back of the net for his seventh score of the year with 15:27 remaining.
“That play is something I practice before every game and that’s something I love to do, lay out like that. Any chance I get to do it I give it a shot. I just love leaving my feet and going after a well-played ball like the one Nate played into me,” Smith said.
“I knew where he was going and he knew where I was going, and we made it happen. That was a perfect ball, it’s that Hilton connection. Nate and I have a lot of chemistry on the field.”
Iacovangelo’s goal staked the Storm to a 1-0. Smith shot on goal from six yards out, but Wells goalie David Kaus made the save. The ensuing loose ball found its way to Iacovangelo on the near post, who slid a shot inside the post for his first career goal at Keuka.
Defense and possession was the name of the game during a first half that featured plenty of rain but not too many solid scoring opportunities. In the 21st minute, the Express had a good look on goal when Delroy Roberts possessed the ball and ripped a shot from 18 yards out, but junior Derek Condon (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) leapt for the save and deflected the shot to himself.
Condon, the reigning Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Defensive Player of the Week, made another heads-up save late in the half. Following a foul on Keuka, Roberts took a free kick from roughly 20 yards out, but Roberts’ shot sailed harmlessly into Condon’s hands for his eighth save of the half.
Wells kept up the offensive pressure to start the second half, but once again Condon came up with a big save. Wells’ Patrick Arancio blasted a shot from 15 yards out, but Condon leapt and punched the shot high over the crossbar, denying a good Wells scoring opportunity.
The teams would play a scoreless first 20 minutes of the second half until the Express (6-8, 3-4 NEAC) scored the equalizer with 24:44 to play off a scramble in front of the net. The score would remain tied for less than 10 minutes before Smith notched the eventual game-winning goal.
Condon finished with a career-high 16 saves for the Storm, which won despite being outshot 32-13, and 17-4 in the second half. Keuka’s defense of junior Reis Cunningham (Red Creek, NY/Red Creek), junior Justin Ryan (Dryden, NY/Dryden), sophomore Kyle Rivera (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) and freshman John Bourgeois (Rochester, NY/Irondequoit) effectively limited Wells’ looks in the second half, particularly over the final 15 minutes as the Express was searching for the equalizer.
The Storm returns to action at 4 p.m. Monday afternoon with a non-conference game at Elmira College.
With just three NEAC games remaining, Keuka moved into sole possession of fifth place in the conference. The top five teams qualify for the postseason tournament, which runs Nov. 1-6.
“This win was huge, it was do or die tonight for us,” Smith said after Keuka earned its fifth home win in six games.
“We dropped a few conference games that we should have won or at least gotten some sort of result, but this was a must-have game. If we didn’t win this, our chances of going to the postseason tournament at the end of the season, we would have had to win out to make it. This was a huge game, huge for our team to win this.”
Gerber’s Goal Sparks Men’s Soccer
September 14, 2011
Austin Gerber, right, ripped a 35-yard goal early in the second half to propel Keuka past D'Youville 3-0 Wednesday night (Photo by Lauren Schreyack)
Despite possessing a one-goal lead at halftime of its non-conference men’s soccer game with D’Youville College, the members of the Keuka Storm were not satisfied with their performance.
Coming off the first loss of the 2011 season, the Storm wanted to send a message in the second half of its game against D’Youville, and freshman midfielder Austin Gerber (Rochester, NY/Churchville-Chili) helped deliver that message just 22 seconds into the second half.
Just before Keuka took to the pitch for the second half, head coach Matt Tantalo and Gerber had a conversation where, according to Gerber, he was instructed to take more shots, and Gerber listened.
Moments after moving the ball into the D’Youville zone following the second half restart, Gerber, who prefers to shoot with his right foot, wound up and ripped a beautiful 35-yard screamer with his left foot that sailed high over the keeper’s hands and into the upper-right corner of the net for a 2-0 lead.
Keuka went on to win 3-0 as Gerber, junior Nate Smith (Hilton, NY/Hilton) and sophomore Nate Schreiber (Hilton, NY/Hilton) all scored goals for the Storm (4-1), who outshot D’Youville (1-5) 21-9 and enjoyed a 10-6 edge in corner kicks.
“In the first half, we didn’t get on our opportunities and we knew we had to convert on our good opportunities,” said Gerber, who scored his first career goal at Keuka in the 46th minute.
“We were pumped up coming out of halftime and we told ourselves that we can and we will score more goals in the second half. I saw I had a lot of space and after I made one touch, I saw the goalie was out of position so I fired and at first I thought the ball would sail over the goal. But at the last second I got the ball to dip and it went in.”
After delivering the back-breaking goal, Keuka came to life and began applying good pressure while on defense. Offensively, the attack seemed to receive a boost from Gerber’s sensational seeing-eye goal, as the Storm began peppering D’Youville goalie Matt Smith with a barrage of solid shots.
However the score remained 2-0 until the 61st minute, Smith collected a loose ball, sent a short pass to himself and banged home a header for his team-leading fourth goal of the season.
For the Storm, it was a confidence-inspiring win, especially after a disheartening 2-1 loss at Penn State-Abington on Sunday afternoon. In that game, Keuka couldn’t hold onto a 1-0 halftime lead and fell for the first time this year.
“We got a lot of momentum from my goal and we definitely carried that momentum forward,” Gerber said. “Nate’s goal was amazing, for him to flick the ball over the keeper’s head, then regain possession and score on a header, that was an awesome goal. We came in knowing we needed to recover from the weekend, and we don’t have another game for 10 days so we really wanted to head into this break with some momentum. A 3-0 win is all we can ask for.”
Facing the Spartans, Keuka once again jumped to an early lead. After several good looks on goal that didn’t yield a goal, in the 37th minute, Smith played a ball from the near side of the box to a streaking Schreiber. In heavy traffic, Schreiber got his knee on the ball and scored past a diving goalie for a 1-0 lead.
Gerber’s goal pushed the lead to 3-0 and Smith finished off the scoring with his goal 15 minutes later. For Smith, all four of his goals have come at home.
Junior Derek Condon (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) made four saves and freshman Shane Bly (Rochester, NY/Greece Arcadia) made one save to finish off Keuka’s second shutout of the year. Defenders Reis Cunningham (Red Creek, NY/Red Creek), Justin Ryan (Dryden, NY/Dryden), David Caramella (Oswego, NY/Oswego) and Franklin Koehler (Bath, NY/Bath) helped keep things clean in front of Condon and Bly.
Keuka improved to 3-0 at home while D’Youville fell to 0-5 in road/neutral site games. The Storm is off for 10 days before returning to action with a pair of home games Sept. 24 and 25 against Gallaudet and Penn State-Harrisburg.
