November 4, 2009
MSOC: REINA SCORES TWICE TO PUSH #10 LE MOYNE INTO NE-10
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WITH 2-1 WIN OVER FRANKLIN PIERCE
Syracuse, N.Y. - Junior forward Angelo Reina (Frankfort,
N.Y./Utica Notre Dame) scored a pair of goals, including
the game-winner 4:02 into the second overtime period, to lead the
10th-ranked Le Moyne College men's soccer team to a 2-1 win over
Franklin Pierce in the Northeast-10 Conference Championship
semifinals on Wednesday afternoon at the Thomas J. Niland Athletic
Complex.
Just under 16 minutes into the contest, the Dolphins were whistled
for a foul in the penalty box to give Franklin Pierce a penalty
kick. Sophomore midfielder Paul Latif slotted the ball just
underneath the hands of Le Moyne goalkeeper Steve White
(Cortland, N.Y./Cortland). Over the final 29 minutes, the
Dolphins held a 3-1 advantage in shots, but were unable to tie the
score and went into intermission trailing for the seventh time this
season.
Reina evened the score at one apiece at the 11:21 mark of the
second half. Sophomore midfielder Marcus Debottis (Cicero,
N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) took a pass from classmate
Bryce Martin (Cazenovia, N.Y./Chittenango) and
crossed the ball in front of the goal, where a streaking Reina
deposited it into the back of the net for his 15th goal of the
season.
Franklin Pierce nearly took the lead in the 88th minute off a
corner kick by senior midfielder Kensaku Tsuji. Sophomore back Tom
Reilly headed the ball at the far post, where Le Moyne junior
midfielder Joe Viviano's (North Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North
Syracuse) attempt to clear the ball deflected off the
crossbar and Debottis cleared away the ricochet before the Ravens
could get off another shot. The Dolphins countered with a corner
kick of their own in the closing seconds, but could not get a shot
on target.
The two squads remained tied after the first 10-minute overtime
period to set up Reina's heroics. Following a header by a Franklin
Pierce defender, sophomore midfielder Harrison Grubbs
(Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette) collected the ball in the center
of the field and lofted a pass to Reina, who volleyed the ball from
15 yards into the top right corner of the goal for his sixth
game-winning goal of the season. Reina's 16 goals are the
fourth-most goals in a season by a Dolphin and the most since
2001.
The Dolphins out-shot their guests, 18-6, including 13-4 after
halftime, while each team registered six corner kicks. White made
two saves in goal for Le Moyne to post his program-best 16th
victory of the season and 50th of his career. Papageorgiou turned
away five shots in the contest for the Ravens.
Le Moyne (16-2-2), which is making its second consecutive
appearance in the Northeast-10 Conference Championship, will host
Southern Connecticut State on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 1:00 p.m. The
Dolphins, who won their only conference championship with a 1-0
victory at Franklin Pierce in 2005, fell to Southern Connecticut
State, 2-1, in double-overtime earlier this season.
-agate-
#10 Le Moyne 2,
Franklin Pierce 1 (2 OT)
Franklin Pierce
(12-4-3)
1
0
0
0
- 1
#10 Le Moyne
(16-2-2)
0
1
0
1
- 2
Franklin Pierce (12-4-3): SCORING: Paul Latif 1-0. GOALKEEPING:
Vinny Papageorgiou (104:02, 2 GA, 5 saves).
#10 Le Moyne (16-2-2): SCORING: Angelo Reina 2-0, Marcus Debottis
0-1, Harrison Grubbs 0-1. GOALKEEPING: Steve White (104:02, 1 GA, 2
saves).
