BOX SCORE
Reading, Pa. (Oct. 30, 2007) – Junior goalie
Richard Kessler (Reading, Pa./Reading) denied two penalty kicks and a trio of teammates buried their chances to lead #4 Alvernia College into the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Men's Soccer semifinal with a 3-1 shootout decision over #5 Neumann College Tuesday afternoon at Schlager Memorial Field.
Alvernia (5-10-3), which qualified for the conference championships for the third straight season, will travel to top-seeded Misesricordia Thursday while the other semifinal will feature #3 Cabrini at #2 Eastern.
Neither team mounted a serious threat until the waning moments of regulation when Neumann freshman Zach Sell ripped a shot from point blank range that glanced off a defender and off the crossbar. Moments later the Knights (7-7-5) generated another opportunity, but the shot from Jesse Urquhart bounded wide of the left post.
Alvernia had the first real threat in overtime when leading scorer
Morgan Davidheiser (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown) hit a ball from the top of the box that caromed off the same post Urquhart had missed moments earlier. Sell managed another shot midway through the extra frame, but his effort sailed high.
The second overtime period failed to solve things and for the third straight year Alvernia was headed to a shootout to decide an opening round playoff game. Kessler dove to his left to deny Sergio Garcia to open the shootout and junior defender
Tyler Absalom (Fleetwood, Pa./Fleetwood) followed hitting both posts with a shot that stayed out.
Kessler danced on his line as Mike Barbagallo approached his free kick and the senior defender had the right side open, but missed high over the crossbar to leave the shootout scoreless through the first three shooters. Davidheiser, the second-leading goal scorer in the conference, buried his chance to put the hosts up 1-0 through two rounds.
Neumann sophomore Brett Fenimore answered for the Knights to tie the score at 1-1, but
Mike Colozzi (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) found the side netting to put Alvernia back up 2-1 through three rounds.
Kessler dove right and got his paw on Urquhart's attempt setting the stage for sophomore
Adam Lush (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) who closed the shootout and the season for the Knights who were making their first playoff appearance.
Alvernia improved to 2-1 in shootouts having split its first two with Eastern University. The Crusaders travel to Misericordia on Thursday looking to avenge a regular season, 4-3, overtime loss to the Cougars who finished the conference schedule 7-0-1.
#4 Alvernia 0, #5 Neumann 0 (Alvernia advances 3-1 in PKs)
