Alfred, Houghton, Stevens and Utica Win by One Goal

9/27/2014 10:15:00 PM

ALFRED 5, NAZARETH 4
Ivan Capitan-Carro nets a hat trick to lead the AU men's soccer team (5-4-0, Empire 8 1-1) to a 5-4 victory.
 
The Saxons set the tone for the rest of the game in the first half putting up two goals early.  The first goal came in the 20^th minute when Richard Lander ripped a hard shot into the box that went off the chest of a Nazareth defender into the goal.  Nearly ten minutes later Capitan-Carro came into the box and sent a curling cross body shot into the upper right hand ninety of the net, putting the Saxons up 2-0.
 
Then came the Golden Flyers with a late goal in the 41^st minute by Ramez Al-Hebshi putting pressure on the Saxons going into the half.
 
However, the Saxons increased their lead in the opening minutes of the second half when Lander crushed a free kick low and hard between the keeper's legs, giving the Saxons what they would believe to be an insurance goal. 
 
Over the course of the next fifteen minutes Nazareth scored three times to take the lead 4-3, with the last goal coming in the 73^rd minute.  At this point, the Golden Flyers had the lead and momentum, but the Saxons did not despair.
 
Finally the Saxons were able to put a couple scoring chances together, the first coming in the 82^nd minute when Jeff Thomas wrapped a ball from the corner into the middle of the box which found Capitan-Carro who corralled the ball with a masterful tap, and sent a screamer past the diving Naz keeper, Diego Abreu deadlocking the game at four a piece.
 
Just when the game was assumed to be over, Lander came to the eighteen again and sent a low hard ball that bounced out of Abreu's hands right at the feet of Capitan-Carro who sealed the victory with a single flick of his toe. 
 
Freshman Chris Gutierrez was between the pipes for the Saxons and had one save.  Neither team held an advantage in corner kicks with each taking four.


UTICA 2, ELMIRA 1
The Utica College men's soccer team remained unbeaten in Empire 8 Conference play Saturday as the Pioneers scored late to earn a 2-1 victory over host Elmira College.  Sophomore Raine Owens netted his first two goals of the season, one to open the contest in the 20^th minute, and he added the game-winner in the 81^st minute to help the Pioneers improve to 4-3-2 overall and 2-0 in the Empire 8.

Freshman Bita Gazashvili recorded his conference-best fifth assist of the season on the Pioneers' opening goal, while Gustaf Petersen assisted on the late game-winner.  Owen's first goal of the game was a rebound and the second of the night was a one-timer from 13 yards out.

Elmira knotted the score at 1-1 in the 41^st minute when Victor Rosas-Granda netted his first goal of the season, assisted by Austin Mansell.  Utica goalie David Abdou recorded one save on the afternoon, while Jordan Doherty made nine saves in net for Elmira (0-7-1, 0-2-2 Empire 8). 

Utica outshot Elmira 19-7 on the afternoon, but the Soaring Eagles earned a 7-5 advantage in corner kick opportunities.


HOUGHTON 1, ST. JOHN FISHER 0
Jared Toth headed in a corner from Tyler Inch to give the Highlanders a 1-0 win over St. John Fisher College in men's soccer action on Saturday.

The teams went scoreless in the first, but it wasn't for lack of trying on behalf of the Highlanders. They outshot the Cardinals 10-1 over the first 45 minutes.

Scoring opportunities were more even in the second half, with Houghton holding a 5-4 shots advantage, but Houghton found the back of the net off the head of Toth in the 60th minute.

Jacob Dunnett made two stops in net to get the shutout win.


STEVENS 1, ITHACA 0
Stevens Institute of Technology sophomore Jay Mikula scored off a header in the 81^stminute Saturday to lead the men's soccer team a 1-0 win over Ithaca College.
 
The Ducks moved to 6-3-0 (2-0-0) with the win while Ithaca dropped to 1-4-1. The win marked the fourth straight shutout for the Ducks and gives them five overall on the season. Stevens' defense has now allowed only one goal in the last 475 minutes.
 
Defense reigned superior in the first half as both teams failed to get a shot on goal through the first 28 minutes. Ithaca managed a header in the 29^th minute that was saved by sophomore Mike Renna before the Ducks responded with a trio of shots from junior Colin Phillips over the next three minutes that either went wide or were saved.
 
Ithaca exerted pressure in the 34^th and 35^th minutes with a pair of shots off corner kicks, but the Stevens defense was able to block both before they reached Renna. Phillips responded with another shot in the 36^th minute, but Ithaca goalie Jordan Gentile made the save to keep the game scoreless.
 
Renna and Gentile combined for three saves in the half as the teams went into the break deadlocked.
 
The Bombers came out of the locker room firing with shots in the 48^th, 49^th, and 50^th minutes, but Stevens blocked two before Renna made the save on the third. After trading shots over the next 30 minutes, the Ducks finally broke through in minute 81.
 
Junior Carson Pryor dribbled up the right side of the box where the forward crossed a pass to the cutting Mikula. Leaving his feet, Mikula headed the ball past a lunging Gentile to give Stevens the one goal lead. The score was the first of the season for the sophomore forward while the assist was Pryor's third.
 
The lead was enough for Renna and the Ducks defense as the unit blocked a shot in 88^th minute to extinguish Ithaca's final threat.