Cellitti Scores Twice as No. 5 Stevens Cruises to Sweet 16
Jon McCue
GLENSIDE, Pa. (November 11, 2012) – Freshman Joe Cellitti (Mendham, N.J.) scored twice and the Stevens Institute of Technology men’s soccer team ran its shutout streak past the 1,000-minute mark as the Ducks topped Haverford College 3-0 in the second round of the 2012 NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship. Senior Zach Adler (McKinney, Texas) scored the third goal and assisted the second for Stevens.
The Ducks jumped out ahead quickly. On the left side, Dunbar overcame a 10-yard head-start by a Haverford defender and outraced him to the ball. Dunbar’s speed led to a breakaway for the Ducks; he centered the ball to a wide-open Joe Cellitti who shook down the goalkeeper with a great move and buried it in the twine for the early Stevens lead. It was Dunbar’s third assist and Cellitti’s eighth goal of the year.
With 30 minutes to go in the first, the Ducks lined up for a corner kick. Zach Adler lined up in his customary position to take the kick. As the ball curled in the air, Cellitti streaked uncovered towards the nearside post and headed the service past the keeper for his second goal in six minutes. With the assist, Adler earned his fourth point in the NCAA Tournament.
In addition to the obvious lead on the scoreboard, the Ducks dominated possession in the opening minutes as well, with the direction of play heavily slanted towards the Haverford goal.
With 20 minutes to go in the period, the Fords showed their first sustained pressure and had a good scoring chance in front, but goalkeeper Paul Killian (Ellicott City, Md.) and Harrison Kane (Fort Worth, Texas) each had a clear to keep Haverford off the board.
After that sequence executed by the Fords, the rest of the half was played evenly. At the break, Stevens led in shots 7-5, but Haverford had taken two more corner kicks. Fouls showed the most disparity, with the Fords racking up seven to Stevens’ two. Both goalkeepers had come up with one save each.
Haverford had the first dangerous opportunity of the second half when the Fords earned a foul call deep in the Stevens end, but the ensuing header went far wide of the Stevens cage.
10 minutes into the final period, Leonardo Casas had a give-and-go with Dunbar that allowed the defenseman to control the ball on the Haverford back line. Casas fed the ball to Adler at the top of the box, and the Texan cranked an explosive shot past the keeper for his second score of the weekend and a 3-0 Duck lead.
Though Stevens continued to play as aggressively as ever, the Ducks did not allow Haverford second-half shot until only 10 minutes remained in the match, effectively shutting down the Ford offense with ball possession.
Stevens will move on to the NCAA Round of 16 for the second-consecutive season. The Ducks know they will play the University of Scranton on Saturday, but the time and location will be announced on Monday. Check back with StevensDucks.com for the latest updates.
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