BOX SCORE
Glenside, Pa. (Nov. 4, 2006) – Senior midfielder Geoff Buckingham (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) earned MVP honor with one swift kick in the final minute of regulation when his bounding shot snuck inside the right post to give top-seeded Arcadia University a 1-0 win over #2 Alvernia College Saturday afternoon in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Championship at Arcadia.
Both keepers, Arcadia freshman Jeff Kratohwill (Pennsburg, PA/Upper Perkiomen) and Alvernia sophomore Richard Kessler (Reading, PA/Reading) put forth MVP-level efforts over the entire 90 minutes of play. Kessler made four of his five saves in the first half while Kratohwill recorded five before the break.
Kratohwill made perhaps the best save of the day with about 30 minutes left in regulation. Alvernia, which was successful moving the ball down the left sideline a few times in the second half, had a ball deep in the corner and the cross found senior forward Moss Grande (Sinking Spring, PA/Wilson) right on the doorstep. Grande cracked a half volley into what appeared to be an open net, but Kratohwill appeared out of nowhere to punch the ball out of harm’s way.
Arcadia earned a potentially dangerous free kick later in the second half just outside the top of Alvernia’s defensive box, but the shot, which Kessler had covered, sailed high.
The Scarlet Knights finally broke the scoreless tie with 46 seconds left in regulation. Senior Matt Abate (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) hurled a throw in from the right sideline that found the head of junior Andrew Plunkett (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial). Plunkett skimmed the ball to Buckingham, who hit a seeing eye shot that bounced past a number of maroon and white shins and snuck inside the far post for the game-winner.
Arcadia held a 10-3 advantage in corners on the strength of seven in the second half while shots were even at 13 apiece. The Scarlet Knights improved to 11-3-5 and picked up their fourth PAC Title. Arcadia will await its opponent and location for a first round NCAA game. Alvernia (10-5-4), which hasn’t given up more than one goal in a game since September, will learn its postseason fate on Monday.
#1 Arcadia 1, #2 Alvernia 0
