Stevens Rolls into Empire 8 Title Match with 5-0 Win Over Nazareth
Rob Kulish
Video Clips: First Goal | Second Goal | Third Goal
HOBOKEN, N.J. (November 6, 2013) – The top-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology men's soccer team rolled into the Empire 8 Championship title match with a 5-0 shutout of fourth-seeded Nazareth College Wednesday at the De Baun Athletic Complex.
The Ducks will host the E8 final Saturday at 5 p.m. against second-seeded Utica College.
With the win, Stevens improves to 15-1-1 overall and has now won 10-straight dating back to September 28. Nazareth ends its season with a record of 6-11-0.
There was little doubt in this one, with Stevens holding major advantages across the board, connecting passes, creating strong opportunities, holding possession and keeping the ball deep in the Golden Flyer zone from start-to-finish.
The Ducks came out getting three solid shots in the first five-plus minutes, the best being a rip from the left side of the box from senior midfielder
Edward Rupp (Sayville, N.Y.) that sailed just wide of the far post.
The next strong chance of the afternoon came via a blast from sophomore midfielder
Colin Phillips (Mechanicsburg, Pa.). Phillips created some space off the left side, ripping a shot toward the upper-right 90 that freshman goalkeeper
Nate Ripic (Endicott, N.Y.) made a diving save on. Moments later, Rupp broke free with the ball along the ride side, and it was clear the Ducks were on the brink of ringing the bell.
Despite being unable to score, Stevens had all the momentum, eventually taking the lead for good with a pretty connection from sophomore forward
Joe Cellitti (Mendham, N.J.) and sophomore forward
Carson Pryor (St. Louis, Mo.) in the 17th minute. On the play, Cellitti broke free on the right side, and delivered a perfectly placed and timed cross to Pryor who one-timed it home with his right foot. The marker was the 12th of the season for the Stevens sophomore which leads the team and conference.
The Ducks pushed their lead to a pair 3:56 later on one of the prettiest goals of the year with Cellitti again assisting, this time on a beautiful double-give-and-go with freshman midfielder
Nick DeFelice (Lincroft, N.J.). DeFelice won a loose ball in the middle of the field and tapped to Cellitti. He then returned it back to DeFelice, who tapped back to Cellitti, who again touched to DeFelice cutting up the middle. The rookie touched and hammered home the first marker of his career.
The Stevens lead ballooned to the three goals (3-0) at 26:45 when senior back
Zeke Hemme (Louisville, Ky.) notched his second of the season on the back of an assist from sophomore back
Jeff Althoff (Tewksbury, N.J.). This goal originated with a corner from sophomore back
Harrison Kane (Tulsa, Okla.) as Althoff headed it to Hemme who then rocketed a shot into the lower-left corner.
The two teams went into the intermission with the Ducks holding a 10-2 edge in shots and a 5-1 margin in corners, controlling the ball and field position for approximately 95 percent of the period.
Stevens (15-1-1) continued to dominate early in the second, getting goal number four via a fantastic individual effort from junior midfielder
Kevin Calloway (Sewell, N.J.). The veteran pocketed his second goal of the season and career.
The Ducks' fifth and final tally came when Hemme launched a long pass that traveled about 60 yards down the near sideline to senior midfielder
Christian Grapel (Grass Valley, Calif.). Grapel beat his defender before firing a shot across the mouth of the goal into the lower-left corner for the first of his 2013 season.
From that point, Stevens continued to control the match, eventually taking home the 5-0 win to appear in its seventh-straight title match in seven years as a member of the conference. The Ducks are now unbeaten in 13-straight Empire 8 Tournament contests.
Hemme led Stevens with three points from his backfield position. Celitti had two assists, with the Stevens defense recording its 10th shutout of the year. Senior goalkeeper
Paul Killian (Ellicott City, Md.) earned the win in goal and combined with freshman
Mike Renna (Basking Ridge, N.J.) and senior
Kyle DeKlerk (Worcester, Mass.) for the shutout. The trio notched four saves.
Stevens finished with a 17-6 margin in shots and a 6-1 edge in corners.
Saturday's final will begin at 5 p.m. and will be webcast live at
www.Empire8.TV. General admission is $5. Students and seniors are $3, and Children under 12 are free. Stevens students are free as well.