Oct. 15, 2003

Box Score

Fairfield, Conn. - Adelphi saw two golden opportunities to end the game in overtime come up short and were forced to leave Fairfield with a 2-2 tie. With the tie the Panthers record remains steady at 7-4-2, while the Stags walk away with a mark of 4-5-2. Fairfield struck first, catching the Panthers on a counter-attack.

Fairfield won the ball in the midfield and quickly sent the ball down the left flank. Mike Calabrese cut towards the box and sent a ball in that was collected by Taylor Warwick, who struck a ball that beat Tom Cunningham. The momentum was with Fairfield for the rest of the half, but Adelphi took some of it away just before half. The Panthers were awarded a corner kick with just seconds left on the clock. Freshman Jose Castillo sent a ball to the six where Sigurd Riksfjord beat Fairfield defense to the ball and sent it into the back of the net, with just 6.2 seconds left on the clock.

The second half opened up much like the first, with both teams battling back and forth, Fairfield was going with the wind in the second half and used that to their advantage, sending a lot of balls into the corners. But in the 74th minute Riksfjord sent a ball towards the right flank to a streaking Tal Sheinfeld, Fairfield goalie Andrew Frankel came off his line to meet the ball. But the ball took a hop over Frankel's head leaving him out of position and the goal wide open. Sheinfeld collected the ball and slid it in to the open goal to make the score 2-1.

The Panthers did not hold the lead for every long, less then two minutes later the Stags went on the offensive. Fairfield controlled the ball on the left side of Adelphi's box; the Panther defense was slightly out of position allowing Mike Troy to play a ball to an open Warwick. Warwick easily settled the ball and struck the ball into the back of the net past a diving Cunningham to even the game at two.

Adelphi had two opportunities in overtime to put the Stags away but could not convert. In the first overtime Adelphi took advantage of a three-on-one situation and played the ball across the box to an open Ron Forman. Forman struck the ball well, but it sailed wide of the goal. In the second overtime Marlon Clarke sent a cross into the box where Sheinfeld had only the keeper to beat. Sheinfeld headed the ball but the Frankel was in position to make the stop. Fairfield also had a quality opportunity when Warwick played a ball into Troy, Troy flicked the ball toward the Panther goal, but Cunningham was there to make the save.

Cunningham finished with seven saves, while Frankel picked up two. Adelphi returns to action this Saturday, October 18th at noon when they play host to St. Francis College. The game will be televised Sunday, October 19th at 8pm on Telecare, channel 29 on Cablevision.