Sept. 18, 2008

Box Score

EASTON, Pa. - Sophomore Justin Kamine picked the perfect time to score his first collegiate goal as he headed the game-winning score into the net to give the Lafayette men's soccer team a 1-0 overtime victory against Rider. The Leopards out-shot the Broncs 16-4 with junior Nick Leigh recording a game high seven of those shots.

With the game scoreless at the end of regulation, the Leopards took advantage of a Rider foul just outside the box and Steve Ference got the ball to Kamine who headed it past Broncs goalie Randall Zapolski for the game-winning goal. The Leopard offense forced Zapolski to make five saves in the game while Andrew Pianko made one behind the solid play of the Lafayette defenders.

Lafayette (3-3-1) took control early in the game and played nearly the entire first half in Rider's half of the field, out-shooting the Broncs 5-1. Ference had a good look at goal five minutes into the game but his shot was deflected by a Rider defender. The Broncs (1-5) almost gave up a goal on defense when a defender knocked a ball toward the Rider net but it just grazed the outside of the net, keeping Lafayette off the board.

With less than 17 minutes remaining in the half, B.J. Glenn got the ball to Leigh but his shot sailed wide. Leigh had another chance to score but an offsides call against the Leopards ended the threat. Mike Celentano had perhaps the best chance to get Lafayette's first goal when his shot bounced off the post with less than four minutes to play in the half and the game remained scoreless at the half.

The game got heated in the second half with yellow cards issued to both teams just six minutes into the period. Rider's Evan Lubcher had his team's best opportunity of the night to score with a shot at 23:14 but it was inches off the upper right corner of the net.

There was a flurry of activity from the Lafayette offense around the 20 minute mark of the half. Stephen Macurdy nearly capitalized on a Rider penalty a few yards outside the box with a shot that again hit off the post. Leigh took a shot off the rebound but it hit a wall of Rider defenders. Lafayette had several more chances to score in regulation but did not find the back of the net, sending the match into overtime.

Leigh had a chance to end the game with a shot at 6:31 that went wide. Just over four minutes later, Lafayette finally took advantage of a scoring opportunity as Kamine came through with the score to end the game.

The Leopards are back action this weekend when they host Cornell on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Postgame Notes:
- Lafayette has now won 10 straight games over Rider.
- The shutout was the Leopards' third of the season and second at home.
- Tonight was the third overtime match in seven games this season and the second in a row for the Leopards.
- Nick Leigh leads the team with 21 shots this season. He had taken a combined 16 shots in his first two seasons.