November 7, 2009
MSOC: #10 DOLPHINS WIN NORTHEAST-10 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP WITH
2-1 WIN OVER SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE
Syracuse, N.Y. - Sophomore back Bryce Martin (Cazenovia,
N.Y./Chittenango) and junior forward Angelo Reina
(Frankfort, N.Y./Utica Notre Dame) scored 55 seconds apart
early in the second half to lead the 10th-ranked Le Moyne College
men's soccer team to its second Northeast-10 Conference
Championship with a 2-1 win over Southern Connecticut State on
Saturday afternoon at the Thomas J. Niland Athletic Complex. With
the victory, the Dolphins clinch the conference's automatic bid to
the NCAA tournament.
After playing a scoreless first half, the Dolphins got on the
board twice in the opening 11 
minutes of the second stanza. Martin took a long pass from
junior midfielder Domenico Vitale (Liverpool,
N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse), side-stepped his defender and
fired a shot at the goal. The ball hit off the upper body of an
Owls defender and deflected just out of the reach of goalkeeper
Chris Rybacki for his second goal of the season.
Just 55 seconds later, Reina doubled the lead for the Dolphins.
Sophomore midfielder Marcus Debottis (Cicero,
N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) collected a loose ball in his
defensive half of the field and cleared the ball up field. After a
Southern Connecticut defender tried to head the ball back to
Rybacki, Reina intercepted the pass and chipped the bouncing ball
from 22 yards out over Rybacki and into the goal for his 17th tally
of the season.
The Owls had an opportunity to score at the 66:19 mark, but senior
goalkeeper Steve White (Cortland, N.Y./Cortland)
punched Harry Appiah's 12-yard shot over the crossbar. Southern
Connecticut was able to cut its deficit in half with a goal off the
foot of Jason Villagomez with just 1:19 remaining. Villagomez
lifted a bouncing ball into the upper left corner of the goal from
12 yards for his second marker of the season. Following a foul on
the Dolphins with 11 seconds remaining, Yoni Feldman had a free
kick from 25 yards out, but his shot was stopped by White to
preserve the victory.
Each team totaled seven shots in the contest, while the Owls
posted a 3-2 advantage in corner kicks. White finished the contest
with five saves, while Rybacki turned away a pair of shots.
Reina, White and tournament Most Outstanding
Player Josh Mabee (Clifton Park,
N.Y./Shenendehowa) were selected to the Northeast-10
Conference All-Tournament Team.
Le Moyne (17-2-2), which won the 2005 Northeast-10 Conference
Championship with a 1-0 win at Franklin Pierce, ties the program's
record for wins in a season (17), which was previously set by the
2004 team (17-2-1). NCAA Tournament pairings will be announced at
ncaa.com on Monday night at 7:00 p.m.
-agate-
#10 Le Moyne 2,
Southern Connecticut State 1
Southern Connecticut State
(14-5-1)
0
1
- 1
#10 Le Moyne
(17-2-2)
0
2
- 2
Southern Connecticut State (14-5-1): SCORING: Jason Villagomez
1-0. GOALKEEPING: Chris Rybacki (L, 90:00, 2 GA, 2 saves).
#10 Le Moyne (17-2-2): SCORING: Bryce Martin 1-0, Angelo Reina
1-0, Marcus Debottis 0-1. GOALKEEPING: Steve White (W, 90:00, 1 GA,
5 saves).
