2003 NORTHEAST-10 MEN’S SOCCER TOURNAMENT
Hawks post 4-2 advantage in shootout after teams play to 1-1 draw
RINDGE, N.H. (November 2, 2003) - Seventh-seeded Saint Anselm College posted a 4-2 advantage in a penalty shootout after 110-minutes of play with second-seeded Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 16 in this week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, failed to break a 1-1 deadlock in quarterfinal round action of the 2003 Northeast-10 Conference men's soccer tournament this afternoon.
Saint Anselm (10-4-3) advances to Wednesday's semifinal round and will visit third-seeded UMass Lowell (11-4-2) at 2 p.m. UMass Lowell advanced today with a 3-0 win over sixth-seeded Le Moyne College (10-7-2).
Franklin Pierce (11-5-2) now awaits word on an NCAA Tournament berth, which will be announced on Monday, November 10. The Ravens are in excellent position for one of three New England Region bids to end their four-year NCAA Tournament drought by claiming a bid for the first time since 1998.
Saint Anselm senior goalkeeper Robert Morong (Dedham, Mass./Dedham) stopped four shots in regulation, but it was his saves on Franklin Pierce's first two penalty shots in the shootout that sent the Hawks through to the semifinals.
Morong stopped Franklin Pierce junior Michael Black (Guilford, Conn./Guilford) and senior Sean McCabe (Derry City, Northern Ireland) and Hawks sophomore Lewis Brooks (Claremont, N.H./Stevens) sealed the victory by burying their fifth kick for the 4-2 advantage.
It was also Brooks who netted the match-tying goal in the 55th minute when he took a pass from senior Glenn McCrory (Saunderstown, R.I./Bishop Hendricken) on a free kick and fired a shot from the left side to the lower right corner of the net.
Morong was superb in goal all afternoon for Saint Anselm, finishing with four saves. Franklin Pierce senior goalkeeper Domenico Roma (Windsor, Ontario/Ste. Annes) made one stop in 110-minutes of action.
Franklin Pierce held a 21-11 shots advantage for the match, including a combined 7-0 in the two overtime sessions. The Ravens nearly ended the match in the first extra frame, but a shot from Black was blocked by the Saint Anselm defense and a rebound shot by grad student Craig Stewart (Newcastle, England) caromed off the crossbar.
Stewart had two more bids in the closing seconds of the second overtime, with the first attempt with 17-seconds left blocked before Morong stopped his second effort with 13-ticks left.
Franklin Pierce took the lead with just 5:24 left in the first half. Senior Felix Brillant (Montreal, Quebec/College Francais) released junior Mark Jansen (Enschede, The Netherlands) down the left wing with a through ball and Jansen's cross found sophomore Lars Bakker (Enschede, The Netherlands) on the far post for a one-timed shot past Morong.