HOBOKEN, N.J. (October 30, 2010) – Junior back Tarik Kramcha tallied two gorgeous goals to help lift the Stevens Institute of Technology men’s soccer team to a 4-1 win over Empire 8 foe Utica College on Saturday afternoon at the De Baun Athletic Complex in Hoboken, N.J. With the win the Ducks improve to 6-0-1 in the Empire 8 and clinch the top seed in the Empire 8 Championship that will begin next Friday. Stevens will square off with the Pioneers (12-5-1 overall, 3-3-1 Empire 8), who locked up the fourth seed in the tournament despite the loss.
After eight minutes of some back and forth and the two teams feeling each other out, the Ducks (12-1-3 overall) began to control possession and field position. Shortly after, Stevens took the lead thanks to a picture-perfect goal from midfielder Zach Adler. The sophomore had the ball five or so yards outside the top-left corner of the penalty box and made a hard cut towards the goal completely faking out the defense. With space he created, Adler launched a beautiful shot over the top of Utica goalkeeper Anthony Caruso (Easton, Conn.) into the top-right corner of the cage. It was Adler’s third tally of the season.
In the 31st minute, Stevens went up 2-0 on another pretty goal. Senior midfielder Michael Quijano started the play with a corner from the left side. A Utica defender was able to head it out of the box, but the ball bounced directly to Kramcha who one-timed an absolute laser into the top right corner of the goal from 28-yards out.
The Ducks went into the locker room with a 2-0 lead, a 5-1 advantage in shots, and a 3-1 edge in corners.
Stevens went up 3-0 just 5:22 into the second half on Kramcha’s second of the game. Utica was whistled for a foul in the middle of the field, five yards outside the box. Both Adler and Kramcha lined up to take the free kick and it was Kramcha who went first that fired a bullet into to the top-left corner.
Junior Zach Bowman upped the Duck lead to four with his first tally of the season after sophomore Victor Daza found him with a through-ball on the right side of the box. Bowman was able to control the pass with one touch and rip a shot across the mouth of the goal into the lower-right corner.
Utica scored their goal in the 82nd minute after a corner. Senior David Garcia (Fairport, N.Y.) headed the ball to junior Jonathan Wood (Derry, N.H.) and Wood headed it into the right side for the score.
Each team took 12 shots and five corners but the game was not close as the Ducks cruised to the victory. Senior goalkeeper Zach Carr made four saves for Stevens. Caruso stopped three Stevens shots.
In its seven conference games, Stevens outscored its opponents 22-1 en route to a 6-0-1 record and their first No. 1 seed in the conference tournament since 2007. The winner of the Utica-Stevens match will play the winner of second-seeded Nazareth College vs. third-seeded Elmira College at the highest remaining seed.
Prior to the contest, Stevens honored four seniors playing in their final regular-season home game; Bryan De Faria, Nolan Sandberg, Quijano, and Carr. The group has been a part of a 65-8-12 overall record and an 11-1-1 postseason mark.