Nov. 14, 2010

Box Score/ Photo Gallery

Garden City, N.Y. - The Adelphi University men's soccer team hosted the Atlantic Soccer Conference Championship game on Sunday, November 14, which featured a clash between #1 Houston Baptist and #2 seeded Adelphi University. The Huskies got on the board first, but two Panther tallies in a span of 10 minutes gave Adelphi a, 2-1 overtime victory and the 2010 Atlantic Soccer Conference Tournament Championship.

With the victory the Panthers defended their 2009 Tournament crown and earned the right to host the 2011 ASC tournament. In the past two seasons Adelphi has captured two tournament championships and the 2009 regular season title.

The first half was all Adelphi, as the Panthers pressured Houston Baptist for most of the opening 45 minutes. Husky goalkeeper Chris Dodd made three big saves in the first period to keep the game scoreless, including shutting down Issa Tall on a one versus one break away attempt.

Tall ran onto a ball played through the midfield and Dodd was forced off his line, closing down Tall quickly. Tall attempted to slot the ball around Dodd, but the Husky keeper made a diving shot to preserve the scoreless tie in the 16th minute.

Adelphi had another outstanding opportunity in the 74th minute of play, as Brandon Stoneham found James Diana inside the six yard box, near the left post. Diana one timed a rifle at the Houston Baptist net, but Dodd was there to made the save.

Two minutes later Alexander Kouznetsov had two more excellent chances, sending a header at Dodd, who was up to the task, but send the rebound right back to Kouznetsov. Kouznetsov responded by striking another attempt at the Houston Baptist net, but again Dodd turned the ball aside.

The momentum shifted, if only for a moment in the 78th minute as Mateo Jimenez sent the ball streaking through the Adelphi defense in front of a hard charging Kristopher Tyrpak. Tyrpak was able to collect and control the ball with one touch and then buried it into the back of the Panther goal, past Thorne Holder, to put the Huskies ahead, 1-0.

From there, Houston Baptist packed it in, pulling all their players into their defensive half of the field to preserve the lead. The Panthers responded by sending ball after ball into the Husky box and finally Domenico Parrelli sent a direct kick into the box from 40 yards out in the 86th minute of lay. His strike found the head of Kouznetsov, who re-directed it past Dodd to knot the game at 1-1 and send it into overtime.

Adelphi did not waste much time in the overtime period as Tall struck a shot from 20 yards out just 25 seconds into play that was gobbled up by Dodd. The Huskies had their best chance of the extra frame in the 93rd minute as Walter Kromholz got his head on a ball, but it ended up wide of the goal.

The Panthers kept the pressure up and were rewarded with a corner kick in the 96th minute of play. Mauricio Mora stepped up to take the kick, sending it toward the near post, where it found the head of 6-3 Panther Dan Larenius, who beat Dodd for just the second time that day, to give Adelphi a, 2-1 victory and the ASC Tournament title.

Adelphi out shot the Huskies in the game, 18-10 and held a 9-4 edge in corner kicks. Dodd was busy in the loss, making eight saves, while Holder made two stops, both in the first half of action.

The Panthers close out the 2010 season with a mark of 11-6-2, the third straight season that Adelphi has produced 11 wins or more. Houston Baptist ends play in 2010 with an overall record of 7-8-3.