Aug. 31, 2007
Box Score
EASTON, Pa. - The Lafayette men's soccer team (1-0) opened its 2007 season with a 2-1 defeat of St. Francis (0-1) on the first day of the seventh-annual Puma Soccer Classic. Mike Tilley (North Andover, Mass/North Andover) and freshman B.J. Glenn (Philadelphia, Pa./Shipley School) provided the offense for the Leopards, while the Lafayette defense held the Terriers to one goal.
The game was a defensive battle for much of the first half but the Leopards maintained control of the ball for the majority of opening period. Their defense held the Terriers without a shot in the half while the offense continued to pressure St. Francis's defenders and starting goalie Chris Antonino.
Lafayette's offense had several scoring opportunities in the half, including a shot by Scott Hawkins (Whippany, N.J./Whippany Park) at the 21:19 mark that went just wide of goal. Junior Corey Dempsey (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) fired another shot at the end of the half that went high and the teams headed into halftime knotted at zero.
Both offenses came out firing to start the second half, with Dempsey taking another shot just seconds into the period. St. Francis's Alessandro Silaco took the Terriers' first shot of the game at the 47:43 mark.
Lafayette goalie Philip Nelson (Attleboro, Mass./Attleboro) made a key save on a shot by John Sallhag to keep the game scoreless and erase St. Francis's first true scoring opportunity. Anthony Matos soon got his team on the board, however, as St. Francis took a 1-0 lead with just over 30 minutes remaining in the match.
That lead was short lived, however, as Tilley's goal with 72:46 on the scoreboard tied the game at one. Lafayette's offense continued its momentum as less than three minutes later Glenn netted his first collegiate goal, and the eventual game-winner, following a throw-in by Anthony Sepe (Carmel, N.Y./Carmel).
Steve Ference (Wilkes Barre, Pa./James Coughlin) led the Leopards with a match-high four shots while also being credited with an assist on Tilley's goal. Nelson finished the game with three saves.
The first game of the Puma Soccer Classic saw St. Peter's defeat La Salle 3-2 in overtime.
The Puma Soccer Classic resumes on Sunday, with St. Francis taking on La Salle at noon, followed by St. Peter's and Lafayette at 2:30.
