Ithaca and Stevens Share E8 Men's Soccer Title: Stevens Heads to NCAA's on PK's
PHOTO GALLERY
The third-seeded Ithaca Bombers (7-5-6) and top-seeded No. 7 nationally-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology (16-2-1) battled to a 0-0 tie in the championship game of the Empire 8 tournament Sunday. Officially, the game is recorded as a tie and the Ducks and Bombers will share the 2012 Empire 8 Championship.
The Ducks prevailed 3-2 in penalty kicks and earned the conference's automatic qualification to the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championships. The Bombers snapped Stevens' 14-game winning streak in the process.
Over the first 25 minutes the Ducks dominated play, outshooting the Bombers 8-3 and ending that run with Zach Adler's shot that grazed the crossbar. Six of Stevens' eight shot were on goal – not including Alder's which ultimately did not require an Ithaca save.
The two sides played to a scoreless tie in the first half. Stevens was the aggressor in every sense of the word; the Ducks controlled possession, held a 9-3 shot lead in shots, a 4-3 advantage in corner kicks and had committed six fouls to Ithaca's two.
As the second period began, it became clear the Bombers were angling for a scoreless tie, as Ithaca kept eight or nine men back even when the ball was deep in the Stevens zone and did not take a shot until the 86th minute.
Stephen Dunbar had a good run in the 69th minute in what may have been the Ducks' best chance until that point, and two minutes later Harrison Kane ripped a shot that clanged off the crossbar as the Ducks stepped up the pressure.
At 78:07 Dunbar fired a shot at point-blank range but the Ithaca keeper came up with the diving save as the tilt became even more tense and went to overtime scoreless. Stevens led 14-4 in shots and put eight shots on goal to the Bombers' two at the end of regulation.
In the first overtime, both sides traded close free kick opportunities. Stevens' shot sailed high. Ithaca's best scoring chance came in the 95th minute on a direct kick from 25 yards out. Tim Goldman curled a low shot around the wall that forced a diving save at the right post by Stevens goalkeeper Paul Killian. The ball was loose after the initial shot and Blair Carney pursued the rebound, but Killian was able to deflect the rebound shot past the post. Ithaca continued to put pressure on Stevens in the first OT but Killian stood strong in the goal. Ithaca outshot the Ducks 4-1 in the initial overtime.
After a heart-stopping first overtime, the second overtime ended with much less fanfare and the game headed to a penalty kick shootout to decide the Empire 8 Championship.
Ithaca began the shootout with a miss, and Stevens' stepped up and knocked its attempt in for the early lead. In the next round, the Bombers made and Ducks missed as the shootout was tied up. Killian made a big diving save in the third round, thrid and fourth kickers for Stevens' converted the next shots for Stevens.
Needing just a save or a good kick in the final round, Killian ended it with another outstanding save to clinch the automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. For his heroism, Killian was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Empire 8 Tournament.
Ithaca goalie Kenny Chapman made nine saves in the game.
Stevens will await its draw when the NCAA Tournament field is announced on Monday. The official NCAA selection show can be seen at NCAA.com at 1 p.m.
2012 Empire 8 Men’s Soccer Championship All-Tournament Team
Tournament MVP – Paul Killian - Stevens Institute of Technology – Jr. – GK – Ellicott City, Md.
Alexander Poole – Elmira College – Sr. – M – Chilmark, Mass.
Kyle Metcalfe – St. John Fisher College – Jr. – GK – Fairport, N.Y.
Sean Fishel – St. John Fisher College – Sr. – F – Niskayuna, N.Y.
AJ Wolfanger – Ithaca College – Soph. – M – New Hartford, N.Y.
Tim Goldman – Ithaca College – Soph. – M – Fayetteville, N.Y.
Kenny Champman – Ithaca College – Fr. – GK – Manlius, N.Y.
Victor Daza - Stevens Institute of Technology - Sr. – F – N. Plainfield, N.J.
Zeke Hemme - Stevens Institute of Technology – Jr. – M – Louisville, Ky.
Kevin Calloway - Stevens Institute of Technology – Soph. – M – Sewell, N.J.
Zach Adler - Stevens Institute of Technology – Sr. – F – McKinney, Texas