Semifinal #2
#3 Quinnipiac 1, #2 St. Francis (NY) 1 (2OT), QU advances, 4-3, on penalty kicks
West Long Branch, NJ – In consecutive years, a Northeast Conference Men’s Soccer semi-final contest was decided in a shootout. The Terriers and the Quinnipiac Bobcats battled it out for 110 minutes and eventually penalty kicks to determine who would square off against the Monmouth Hawks for the NEC crown. St. Francis was ousted 4-3 in the penalty kick battle after the Bobcats’ Frederick Hall stop two key kicks and midfielder Shane Recklet blasted the game-winner for Quinnipiac.
The Bobcats “struck” first within the initial 10 minutes of action when St. Francis goalkeeper Chris Antonino (Howard Beach, NY, A.B. Molloy High School) was beat off his mark, but thanks to defender and all-NEC second teamer Javier Gonzalez (Caracas, Venezuela), the native of Venezuela was able to clear the ball off the goal line. In the 16th minute QU found the back of the net, but the score was waved off due to an offside violation.
From there a momentum change and the Terriers had the better half of play in the Bobcats’ zone, resulting in the first goal of the game off the foot of three-time all-NEC forward, junior John Sallhag (Vaxjo, Sweden). The tally was the fourth this season for a wide open Sallhag, who chipped a one-touch shot from the center of the box past Hall.
Sophomore midfielder Robbie Weir (Prestwick, Scotland) and senior all-Conference midfielder Semso Nikocevic (Brooklyn, New York, Sheepshead Bay) started the play from the right side. SFNY continued to push the ball up-field when Weir fired a free kick attempt from just outside the box but Hall was there to collect it with under 10 minutes remaining in the first stanza.
After the intermission, play went back-and-forth mostly around the midfield until the 66th minute when the Bobcats were able to find the equalizer. Sophomore forward Durval Pereira notched his second marker of the season when he took a free kick from 40-yards out that sailed across the box and took a bounce past the Terrier defense and into the far netting. SFNY responded with about eight minutes left in regulation when a corner kick opportunity forced Hall to stretch out and make a one-armed save.
Next it was the Bobcats’ chance for the game winner with just over 30 seconds left to play when the SFNY back line misplayed a ball that took a bounce in slippery conditions, falling at the foot of QU junior forward Nick Pelicaen. Closing in on Antonino, Pelicaen’s shot sailed up and over an onrushing Antonino and over the crossbar.
Throughout both extra sessions each team had its chances, but neither could notch the golden goal. Hall finished with 14 saves while Antonino came away with three stops.
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Courtesy of the Northeast Conference