Men's Soccer | 4/16/2021 10:08:49 PM
Top-seed St. John Fisher College and No. 3 seed Russell Sage College emerged victorious in semifinal action of the 2021 Empire 8 Spring Men's Soccer Championship on Friday, April 16. St. John Fisher knocked off No. 4 seed and defending E8 Champion Nazareth College by a score of 1-0, while Russell Sage went on the road and defeat No. 2 seed Houghton College by the same score.
Fisher will host Russell Sage in the 2021 Empire 8 Spring Men's Soccer Championship match at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 18 from Growney Stadium. The Cardinals are attempting to win their second league championship in program history, while Russell Sage is looking for its first time title in any sport since joining the Empire 8 in 2017. St. John Fisher defeated Russell Sage earlier in the regular season, 2-0 on April 2.
NO. 1 ST. JOHN FISHER 1, NO. 4 NAZARETH
Antonio Robles scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal in the 60th minute as St. John Fisher outlasted fourth-seeded Nazareth, 1-0 from Growney Stadium. With the win, Fisher, which improved to 5-1 following the victory, advanced to its first Empire 8 title game since 2016 when the Cardinals won the conference crown. The Golden Flyers had their season come to a close with a 3-3 overall mark.
After a scoreless first half of play, Fisher looked to push the tempo in the second as the Cardinals earned two corner kick opportunities in the first 15 minutes of play.
The persistence paid off in the 60th minute when
Matt Gentile controlled the ball at midfield before threading a pass up the seam to
Brennan Brown who beat the Golden Flyers' keeper to the ball and fed Robles on the opposite side for an open-net tally.
Leading 1-0 late in the game, Fisher continued to control the pace as Gentile fired two shots in a span of 45 seconds, but the contest remained a one-goal affair. With time running out, Nazareth was able to create some space at the top of the box and unloaded a shot, but the Cardinals were positioned perfectly and turned the attempt away.
In all, Fisher's back line allowed just six shots on the night and yielded just one corner to the Golden Flyers.
Jadon Schlierf moved to 5-1 in goal for the Cardinals as the sophomore keeper turned in his second clean sheet of the season. He did not face a shot on goal in the win.
NO. 3 RUSSELL SAGE 1, NO. 2 HOUGHTON 0
Russell Sage defeated Houghton 1-0 on Friday night to earn a bid to the Empire 8 Championship. With the win, RSC is now 5-2 overall, while Houghton’s season wraps with a record of 5-2.
The two teams played to a scoreless first half, before the Gators punched their way through the Highlanders’ defense at the 66:37 mark. RSC’s junior Christian Vaaulstuen put the Gators on the scoreboard on a pass from senior Jeaneste Pierre. Vaalstuen now has two game-winning goals on the season with three goals, while Pierre has nine points on four goals with an assist. On their careers, this duo continues to make their mark as Pierre now has 30 career points (13 g, 4a), while Vaalstuen has four goals, including three game-winning goals, with two assists and now has 10 points.
For the game, RSC’s rookie keeper Anthony Molina made four saves, including two crucial stops late in the second half in earning his second shutout of the year. Houghton’s senior Caleb Loew made three saves with one goal allowed.
The Gators are making their second appearance in the Empire 8 Championship Game after first appearing in 2017 only to fall to Stevens, 1-0 in the finals.
2021 Empire 8 Spring Men's Soccer Championship Schedule
Wednesday, April 14 – First Round
#3 Russell Sage College defeats #6 Alfred University, 4-1 - STATS
#4 Nazareth College advances past #5 Utica College via No Contest
Friday, April 16 - Semifinals
#1 St. John Fisher defeats #4 Nazareth, 1-0 - STATS
#3 Russell Sage defeats #2 Houghton 1-0 - STATS
Sunday, April 18 - Championship
#3 Russell Sage at #1 St. John Fisher – 2 p.m. - VIDEO - LIVE STATS