Terry Fry's free kick goal in the first minute of extra time lifted
the Eastern Men's Soccer Team to the Freedom Conference Semifinals
with a 2-1 win over Alvernia University at Sovereign Bank Sports Park.
The Eagles will return to Misericordia University where they will
attempt to unseat the top-seeded Cougars for the second time in a week.
The game began with both teams earning several restart opportunities
in dangerous positions. Alvernia would eventually own a 9-5 edge in
corner kicks in the first half. Neither team was able to convert these
opportunities into any genuinely dangerous situations. Ironically,
Eastern would score the opening goal of the match as Avernia had
several consecutive chances on corners and free kicks. Michael Dorsch
recorded his first save of the game in the 14th minute and unleashed a
booming drop-kick that slipped past Braden Gross and his defender and
into Fry's path. The junior forward calmly collected the ball and
tucked a right footed shot just inside the right upright for his 14th
goal of the year.
The Crusaders responded with a half hour of consistent pressure on
the Eastern goal. Alvernia fired twelve shots in the opening period,
but Dorsch only had to make four routine first-half saves to keep the
sheet clean. Despite the Alvernia pressure, the Eagles actually had the
next best chance of the half as well. Fry beat his defender with a
strong run up the right side and slipped a pass to Alex Schweitzer at
the top of the box. The freshman midfielder had the ball caught in the
grass at his feet a bit on his first touch, but managed to hit a low
skidding shot that tagged the right upright.
The second half continued in that vein as the Crusaders carried all
the play and the Eagles had all the chances. The Eastern coaching staff
made the decision to try to double the lead in the counter game, and
were it not for eight second-half saves from Alvernia senior Richard
Kessler the game would have been put away. In the 58th minute, Kyle
Hurst hit a dipping blast from 35 yards out that looked bound for the
upper window, but Kessler paried it over the bar.
Braden Gross, whose work-rate seemed to unnerve the Alvernia back
line for much of the day, earned a pair of chances just minutes later
on probing long balls from Eric Wisler and Mike Leitzel. Kessler was up
to the task, and the Eastern lead remained 1-0. After each chance, the Crusaders
would work the ball up the field and look to unlock the Eastern backs.
Leitzel and the rest of the group stood tall and would instantly look
to attack the space behind the Alvernia backs.
The tight field, the importance of the game, and the direct play led
to numerous collisions and restarts. A collision deep in the Eastern
end in the 78th minute resulted in an altercation that stopped play and
resulted in a player on each team being sent off.
Playing with ten, the Eagles elected to drop players into the
midfield to protect the lead. This move looked as though it was going
to pay off as Alvernia continued to get stuck thirty yards from goal.
The fourth-seeded Crusaders, however, committed more and more numbers
into the attack to try to level the game. With just under eight to
play, it looked as though the hosts had found Morgan Davidheiser on the
back post with a clever through ball, but senior left back Matt Snavely
saved the day with a great recovery into the box to preserve the
Eastern lead.
With just over two minutes to play, Alvernia earned a restart just
outside the box to Dorsch's right. The serve curled in and deflected
right to Alvernia's Domenic Montone standing six yards in front of the
center of the goal. Montone cracked a low shot. Dorsch made a sprawling
grab that sent the Eastern supporters into a moment of glee. That glee
was short-lived as Alvernia quickly knocked Dorsch's drop-kick back
into the box and a penalty kick was justly awarded on a collision
fifteen yards from goal.
Ryan Rutherford's strike slipped just under the bar, and the game
would go to overtime. Going into today, the Eagles were 3-0-1 in
overtime games. Eastern took the opening kick of the half and quickly
advanced the ball into the Alvernia end. Fry was knocked to the ground
as he tried to turn. The 25 yard blast dipped over the 6 man wall and
into the back of the net to give Fry his third overtime goal of the
year.
The Eagles will face a familiar foe in a familiar situation on
Thursday at Misericordia. Eastern earned a 3-2 overtime win in a
must-win game on Saturday night. The Eagles also won in Dallas in last
year's PAC Championship game. Game time Thursday is 2:00 pm.
Box Score
