Box Score
Purchase, NY (Nov. 6, 2013) – For the second time Wednesday, a shootout would decide the outcome of the Skyline Conference men's soccer semifinal.
No. 2-seeded Purchase played host to No. 3 Mount Saint Mary in another heated rivalry. Like the final regular-season tilt, the outcome would not be decided by regulation.
This time, 110 minutes of competitive soccer wouldn't do either.
Instead, a shootout following an exhausting two periods of regulation and then back-to-back 10-minute extra frames of overtime would pave the way for a thrilling conclusion in the SO – a rare sight, but one that highlighted the league tournament semifinals Wednesday, with Farmingdale State knocking off top-seeded Sage in PKs in earlier action to clinch a spot in the title game.
The Panthers, which defeated the Knights 5-4 in one overtime in the final regular season contest at MSMC to lockup the No. 2 seed, which included a first-round bye in the tournament, lost Wednesday night despite a 0-0 final, dropping the final four matchup, 8-7, in the shootout.
The shootout featured 10 selected participants, five from each team as outlined by the head coaches. Standout forward Myles Clohessy (SO/Cornwall, CT) sank the opening PK, but the Knights countered on a Rob Thompson score.
MSMC would take a 2-1 lead in the shootout, but Purchase responded with three straight, matching MSMC behind tallies by Chris Beckett (SR/Yorktown Heights, NY), Junior Sanguina (JR/White Plains, NY) and Abraham Pajares (JR/Port Chester, NY).
The Knights were tied with Purchase at 3-3 and then 4-4 before the Panthers knotted it at 5-5 on a strike by Enderson Mhilli (SR/Rye, NY). The two teams would trade PKs back-and-forth, with Tim Rera (SO/Cornwall, NY) making it 6-6 for the hosts. Purchase's Eli Wilson-Berkowitz (JR/Northampton, MA) would tie it at 7-7, but the Panthers' final attempt failed, and then MSMC's Christian Redl slipped the game-winning attempt into the right corner of the net on a change-of-direction fake.
The stunning outcome ended Purchase's remarkable run in the league tournament and set up a final between FSC and MSMC this weekend. However, the Panthers are still eligible for ECAC postseason play and will learn of their fate early next week.
A remarkable semifinal came down to the shootout on an evening when defense was the operative word.
The second half started strong for Purchase with the Panthers recording a quick shot in the first minute of the session off the foot of Mhilli. The near scoring chance foreshadowed a more open half of offensive action following 45 minutes of physical play in the first.
When the horn sounded on regulation, the Knights would total 30 shots for the contest, with the Panthers registering 10, including four in the second half. MSMC netted 17 shots in the second half of action, but the Purchase defense withstood the attack and forced overtime.
The Knights would manage the only shot in the first extra session, as the two playoff teams would play a second 10-minute OT, searching for the golden opportunity to advance to the league final Saturday at MSMC in the Skyline's inaugural "Fall Festival."
As was the case most of the evening, defense was the name of the game in the first half, as the tightly contested matchup was a scoreless struggle for both through the opening 20 minutes.
The game stay locked in a stalemate the rest of the period, with the best scoring opportunity in the first half for the Panthers coming off the foot of All-Skyline 2nd Teamer Brad Kohel (FR/Goshen, NY), on a direct kick just under 20 minutes. The back blasted the ball 30 yards in as the MSMC keeper tipped the ball over the back of the net. The play setup an ensuing corner kick by Purchase's Rera, which was also saved by Matt Darling.
Purchase's defense matched MSMC turn for turn, with All-Skyline 2nd Team keeper Esteban Aguilar (SO/East Hampton, NY) continuing to shine bright in goal. With time winding down in the opening period, Aguilar made a brilliant save on a shot by defender Ryan Winski and followed that with another two saves shortly after, including a diving grab at around the seven-minute marker. Aguilar closed the half with nine saves.
The standout keeper continued his sterling play in the second half, adding another highlight reel stop on a shot inside the box in the first 10 minutes of action.
Aguilar kept MSMC off the board in the OTs, nabbing a key save off a Matt Garcia shot on the goal line that kept the second OT scoreless midway through.
PKs would follow and Darling earned the win in the shootout for the visitors, sealing it with a nice stop to finish off the 8-7 final. He finished with six saves. Aguilar totaled 18 in defeat.
A large crowd turned out for the semifinal, which included a small tribute in the pregame to the team's four All-Skyline selections and head coach James Bruno, who was named Skyline Coach of the Year earlier this week.
