Box Score
YORK, Pa. (November 17, 2012) – The No. 5 Stevens Institute of Technology men's soccer team could not overcome a 65th-minute goal and lost a hard-fought 1-0 decision to the University of Scranton in the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship Sectional Semifinal on Saturday. The Ducks end the 2012 season with an 18-3-1 record.
York had the first great scoring chance of the match seven minutes in.
Kevin Kozic (Raritan, N.J.) was alone one-on-one with Stevens goalkeeper
Paul Killian (Ellicott City, Md.) but sent his shot wide of the goal as the Royal supporters in the crowd sent up a disappointed groan. Over the first stretch of the match, Scranton generated some of the best threats the Duck defense had seen in weeks, but could not find the back of the net.
The only offense generated by the Ducks in the first 20 minutes came on a trio of long shots on goal. But, with 24 minutes left in the first, Stevens engineered a breakaway that ended with a diving save on the Scranton goal line.
Joe Cellitti (Mendham, N.J.) was just half a step too late on the crossing pass.
Though Scranton had numerous deep runs and scoring threats –including another one-on-one with Killian with 16 minutes to go in the half - they did not have a shot on goal in the first 34 minutes.
The teams played evenly for the rest of the period and went to the break scoreless. Scranton led in shots 6-5 but had only put one on goal, while the Ducks had tested goalie
James Dilon (Downingtown, Pa.) three times in the first 45. The Royals took the only corner kick of the half.
Stevens evened up the corner kick count in the first minute of half two, but nothing came of
Zach Adler's (McKinney, Texas) volley into the box. Four minutes later, another corner kick opportunity led to a good chance off
Curtis Stecyk's (Boulder, Colo.) header, but Dilon came up with the save.
Nine minutes in, Kozic had another wide-open opportunity but sent his header wide. The Royals at that point had numerous point-blank shots but had managed to put just one on net.
Edward Rupp (Sayville, N.Y.) sent a ripe centering pass across the box for Stevens four minutes later, but it was just behind a pair of attacking Ducks.
At the 25:24 mark, Kozic picked off the ball from the Stevens defense and scored the first goal allowed by the Ducks in 10 games, giving Scranton the 1-0 lead.
Not surprisingly, Stevens began to press forward looking for the season-saving goal. A loose ball in the box with eight minutes left this time sent the Stevens delegation into fits of frustration.
Though they tried admirably, the Ducks could not come up with the tying goal and lost for the first time in two months.
Stevens ends its season with an 18-3-1 record and is currently ranked fifth in the National Soccer Coaches Association Poll.
Remember to like us on facebook.com/StevensAthletics and follow us on Twitter @StevensDucks.