Niagara Advances to Final With 2-1 Win Over Siena
MAAC Sports
Poughkeepsie,
N.Y. - The
Niagara University Purple Eagles extended the team's overall record to 12-1-4
with a win over the Siena College Saints in the 2012 MAAC Men's Soccer
Championship semifinal Thursday evening. The Saints were the only team to beat
Niagara during the regular season. This time the Purple Eagles came out on top.
More importantly, the victory will send the team to the MAAC Championship final
on Saturday evening. The match will be broadcasted live on ESPN 3 beginning at
8pm.
The score
remained 0-0 for the first half and well into the second half until the Purple
Eagles took the lead at the 77:52 mark. Sophomore, back Roberto Andersson
scored the first goal assisted by freshman midfielder Darren Cooper.
Less than one
minute later at the 78:17 mark, the Saints' midfielder Matt Hemsley buried a
shot low with an assist from midfielder James Beeston to tie the game 1-1 and
eventually put the game into overtime.
The
winning goal came 15 seconds into overtime; Niagara's Cooper chipped the ball
over the goal keeper with assists from Nick Garcia and Callum Willmott to give
the Purple Eagles sudden victory.
Brett
Petricek recorded four saves between the pipes for the Purple Eagles. Liesemann
closed out the season with five saves for the Saints.
Niagara will play the winner of the tournament's second semifinal featuring the
top-seeded Loyola University Maryland Greyhounds versus the fourth-seeded Iona College
Gaels. The winner of the Championship
Final match will earn an automatic bid to the 2012 NCAA Men's College Cup.
|
Game
1:
|
1st
|
2nd
|
OT
|
|
Siena (10-7 overall)
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
|
Niagara (12-1-4 overall)
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
Scoring: Niagara - Roberto Andersson (Darren Cooper) 77:52; Siena - Matt Hemsley
(James Beeston) 78:17, Darren Cooper (Nick Garcia and Callum Willmott) 90:15.
Saves: Niagara- Brett Petricek 4; Siena - Damian Liesemann 5
Shots: Siena 15, Niagara 12
Corner Kicks: Siena 11, Niagara
6
Fouls: Siena 13, Niagara 7
Offsides: Siena 3, Niagara 2
Yellow
Cards: Siena 1