Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
New Hampshire vs. Hartwick
Bucknell Men's Soccer Ties Hartwick, Wins Days Inn Classic
9/14/2008 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 14, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Freshman Luke Joyner (Dallas, Texas/J.J. Pearce) scored a breakaway goal with just 8:46 remaining in regulation, lifting a shorthanded Bucknell team to a 2-2 tie with visiting Hartwick on Sunday afternoon at the Varsity Soccer Field in the final match of the 2008 Days Inn Classic. With a 1-0-1 record on the weekend, the Bison earned the tournament title based on goals allowed, edging New Hampshire, which also finished 1-0-1.
It was Bucknell's second tournament title in as many weeks, coming on the heels of last week's impressive showing at the Penn State Classic. The Bison are now 3-1-2 on the season heading into a three-game road trip that leads up to the start of Patriot League play.
On Sunday, Bucknell and Hartwick engaged in a tense, physical battle that featured a total of 36 fouls, six yellow cards and one red card.
The game was scoreless until the 42nd minute, when an unusual sequence changed the game in a number of ways. The Bison played a long ball into the box, and Hartwick defender Jonathan Garcia-Torres took down Bucknell's Ross Liberati. Garcia-Torres was booked with a yellow card and Bucknell was awarded a penalty shot, but at the same time Liberati, a key defender for Bison, was sent off with a red card.
Alex Russo (Middletown, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy) buried the penalty kick into the upper left corner, giving the Bison a 1-0 lead, but they would have to play the rest of the game down a man.
Hartwick (1-2-3) took advantage, scoring twice in the second half to go up 2-1. In the 51st minute, Brian Gordon tied it with a header near the right post on a pass from Liam Parrington. That tally ended Bucknell's scoreless string at 283:24, dating back to the first half against Ohio State nine days earlier.
About 25 minutes later, Evan Doan slipped behind the Bucknell defense and scored the go-ahead goal off a feed from Michael Cunningham.
Despite running with only nine field players, the Bison still generated some scoring chances, and they finally tied it on a counter attack in the 82nd minute. Coming out of his own end, Conor O'Brien (Mt. Sinai, N.Y./St. Anthony's) played a long pass into space, and Joyner ran onto the ball all alone about 45 yards from the goal. Just inside the 18 he slid a shot along the ground just to keeper Jeremy Vuolo's left. Joyner's first collegiate tally knotted the game at 2-apiece.
With 4:50 to play Bison keeper Tommy Caso (Phoenix, Md./McDonogh) was in good position to make a save on Liam Parrington's header from close range, keeping the game tied.
Both keepers made two saves in overtime, with Violo's stop on Chris Hennings' (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) turning blast from 14 yards out the toughest.
Hartwick outshot Bucknell 17-16 and held a 13-7 edge in corner kicks. Hartwick was whistled for 22 fouls, compared to 14 for the Bison. Caso finished with five saves and Vuolo three.
After the contest, Bucknell defender Patrick Selwood (Darnestown, Md./The Heights School) was named tournament MVP, while teammates Hennings, Mark Schmiegel (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North) and Matt Hittson (Radnor, Pa./Radnor) joined Selwood on the all-tournament team.
Earlier in the day New Hampshire defeated Cornell 2-1. Mike McKee and Joe Corsello scored for the Wildcats, but it was Joe Yonga's goal for Cornell with just 2:55 to play in the game that proved to be the difference in the goals-against tiebreaker. New Hampshire allowed three goals in the tournament, while Bucknell allowed just two.
Bucknell will be back in action on Friday, Sept. 19 when it visits Binghamton at 7 p.m.
Final Records:
Bucknell, 1-0-1*
New Hampshire, 1-0-1
Hartwick, 0-0-2
Cornell, 0-2-0
*Bucknell is tournament champion based on first tiebreaker criteria (goals against).
All-Tournament Team:
Patrick Selwood, Bucknell (MVP)
Mark Schmiegel, Bucknell
Chris Hennings, Bucknell
Matt Hittson, Bucknell
Scott Rowling, New Hampshire
Kyle Urso, New Hampshire
Dylan George, New Hampshire
Steven Amaya, Hartwick
John Paul Boyle, Hartwick
Sam Wright, Hartwick
Joe Yonga, Cornell
J.J. Bain, Cornell
