William Paterson Wins on Penalty Kicks at 2008 ECAC DIVISION III Metro Men’s Soccer Championship
William Paterson Sports Information
WAYNE, N.J. - For the second straight day, the 22nd-ranked William
Paterson men's soccer team (13-5-4) needed to go to penalty kicks
to decide the outcome, but the extra effort was worth it for the
Pioneers as they won their first ECAC Men's Soccer Metro Region
Tournament championship. After playing to a 1-1 double-overtime
draw against third-seeded Rutgers-Newark (10-9-2), top-seeded
William Paterson took the title with a 4-3 advantage in the
penalty-kick shootout session.
Leading by one entering the fifth and final round for the Scarlet
Raiders, WP junior goalkeeper Dan Peragallo (North Brunswick,
N.J./North Brunswick) made a sprawling save to his left, stopping
Chris Roncancio's shot and giving William Paterson its first
postseason championship since winning the 1975 New Jersey Athletic
Conference title. William Paterson sophomore back Matthew
Heitmann (Westwood, N.J./St. Joseph Regional) was named the
tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
Sophomore Julian Valerio (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) started the
shootout for the Pioneers, but had his attempt saved by Newark's
Kyle Perdelwitz. However, the Scarlet Raiders could not take
advantage, as Peragallo knocked away Jorge Garcia's shot, making it
0-0 after the first round. Ryan Miller's (Colonia, N.J./Colonia)
shot was good to the upper-left corner, and Christien Vlahinich
converted to the lower-right, for a 1-1 score after two rounds.
Junior Jonathan Donado (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) blasted his shot
just under the middle of the crossbar, and Dominic Principato
tucked his attempt inside the right post, making it 2-2.
Sophomore Ambrogio Pipitone (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) beat Perdelwitz
inside the right post, and Dan Siconolfi was successful on his shot
to the center of the goal, deadlocking the shootout at 3-3 after
round four.
Heitmann, who had clinched the berth in the final with his
fifth-round PK against Farmingdale State Nov. 16, calmly stepped up
and drilled his attempt to the middle of the frame for a 4-3 edge.
That set the stage for Peragallo's second save of the shootout,
this one a diving stab at a ball aimed for the right post.
It what was an action-packed, end-to-end contest for most of the
night, as each team had excellent scoring opportunities but nothing
to show for it during the first 78 minutes. Rutgers-Newark was the
first team to finally break through, when William Paterson failed
to clear an Estiven Benitez corner kick. Jeff Vazquez got on the
end of the skidding ball and belted it home for his 18th goal of
the year and a 1-0 lead with 11:42 remaining in regulation.
The Pioneers answered almost immediately, earning a penalty kick
just 37 seconds later. After a lengthy delay due to the issuing of
two yellow cards to the Scarlet Raiders, Valerio sent the PK into
the upper-left corner of the frame and tied the match at 1-1 with
11:05 on the clock.
Vlahinich had a shot sail just wide of the right post less than two
minutes before the end of the second half, and Rutgers-Newark had
two more excellent chances during the first overtime period, the
first a Garcia free kick from just outside the box that required
Peragallo's full extension to swat away, and the second a Vlahinich
shot off the post during the final 25 seconds.
The marathon session in 35-degree weather marked the second
straight day that the Pioneers were pushed beyond overtime.
Rutgers-Newark advanced to the final on PKs, 3-2, against New
Jersey City in the semifinals Nov. 15, but due to heavy rains, the
Pioneers were forced to postpone their semifinal clash with
Farmingdale State until Nov. 16. Trailing 3-1 early in the second
half, William Paterson fought back to tie the match and force
overtime, eventually advancing 4-2 in the shootout.
2008 ECAC Division III Metro Men's Soccer Championship
First Round - Wednesday,
November 12
No. 1 William Paterson (bye)
No. 2 New Jersey City University 2 at No. 7
Mount Saint Mary's 0 Game
Story Box
Score
No. 6 Baruch 1 at No. 3 Rutgers-Newark
6 Game
Story Box
Score
No. 5 Centenary 2 at No. 4 Farmingdale State 3
(OT) Game
Story Box
Score
Semifinals - Saturday,
November 15 at highest remaining seeds
No. 1 William Paterson vs. No. 4 Farmingdale
State, Postponed - Game now at 1 p.m. Sunday
No. 2 New Jersey City University 3 vs. No. 3 Rutgers-Newark
3 (Penalty Kicks 3-2) Game
Story
Make-up Game - Sunday,
November 16 at William Paterson
No. 1 William Paterson 3 vs. No. 4
Farmingdale State 3 (Penalty Kicks 4-2) Game
Story
Championship - Monday,
November 17 at highest remaining seed
No. 3 Rutgers-Newark 1 vs. No. 1 William Paterson
1 (Penalty Kicks 4-3) Game
Story
Complete
Bracket
