Photo Courtesy: Matt Haggerty
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Southern Vermont, the No. 5 seed in the New England Collegiate Conference Men's Soccer Tournament, upset top-seeded Lesley University, upending the Lynx in penalty kicks after 110 minutes of scoreless soccer on the Lynx home turf.
On the heels of the team's 3-2 shootout victory, the Mountaineers (8-10-1) will now face No.2 seed Daniel Webster, the reigning league champions, on Sunday with a trip to the NCAA Tournament at stake.
The top seed Lynx (15-2-1) outshot the Mountaineers in the first half 11-1, with the best look of the period likely being SVC's only shot, a fire from NECC leading scorer Nick Haggarty (Wynatskill, N.Y./Averill Park). Southern Vermont's senior goalkeeper Aaron Eschler (Gloversville, N.Y./Broadalbin-Perth) turned away three Lynx shots faced on goal. Lesley held a 3-1 advantage on corner kicks.
"We were under tremendous pressure most of the night, but I thought defensively we did a good job of limiting their chances," said Head Coach Tim Penrod. "Most of their shots came from outside 20 yards, which speaks to how well we kept them out of dangerous spots. I thought Dave did an outstanding job of limiting Tyler's impact on the game, which was huge over the course of the evening."
After a scoreless second half and through 110 minutes, the Lynx outshot the Mountaineers 34-6 and earned a 6-2 advantage in corners, but the teams went to penalty kicks.
"Once we got into overtime, I knew that the win was going to come from whichever side didn't make the first mistake," said Coach Penrod. "We have lost some games late this year, so I was confident that we wouldn't make a mistake this time. and when we go to PKs, I felt good. At that point, it's all about managing your nerves, staying confident, and believing. I have to say we did all of that. This team has a tremendous amount of heart, and that's what put us into the final."
With the shootout at 1-1, Tyler Reeves (Coventry, Conn./Coventry) gave Lesley a 2-1 lead, beating Aaron Eschler to his right, but in Round 4, Cohen Bond (Alexandria, Va./St. Stephen's & St. Agnes) tied the shootout at 2-2. Joe Petit(Salem, Mass./Salem) missed high to open Round 5, at which time Southern Vermont's Ben Naaktgeboren (Cambridge, N.Y./Cambridge) put Southern Vermont ahead 3-2.
With his team's season on the line, Jonathan Jones Takano's (Tokoyo, Japan/Bunker Hills CC) well-measured attempt fired off the bottom of the left post, sending the Mountaineers to victory.
"Lesley is a very good team," said Coach Penrod. "They deserve a lot of credit for everything they accomplished this year. Those kids worked very hard, and we know how it feels to go out in the semifinals after last year. That team is incredibly well coached, and the players are a wonderful group. I wish them the very best going forward."
For the Mountaineers, Aaron Eschler, who was denied on his penalty kick in the second round, made a match-high six saves. Playing in his final college contest, Lesley's Zachary Almeida-Beers made one save.
"Sunday is a whole new game," said Coach Penrod. "We're playing a familiar opponent, and I think we have what it takes to come out on top. This has been an incredible ride so far, and most importantly, the boys are having fun. This experience is why I encourage people to participate in collegiate athletics: there's nothing like it at all!"