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2001 Season Stories
BALLANTYNE SELECTED IN PRO SOCCER DRAFT February 18, 2002 — St. Lawrence University senior forward Jamal Ballantyne will join former Saint captain Dan Annan as a member of the Rochester Rhinos of the professional A League after being selected in the second round of the A League College Draft last week.
Ballantyne, a second team All America and the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Year as a senior, led the Saints in scoring with nine goals and 17 assists this past season and established records for both assists in a season with 17 and a career with 41.
He played for the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation in the summer following the Saints' 1999 NCAA championship season in the qualifying round for the World Cup.
DUROCHER NAMED NSCAA/Adidas
December 19 — St. Lawrence University men's soccer coach Bob Durocher has been selected as the NSCAA/adidas Division III Regional Soccer Coach of the Year for the second time in the last three seasons.
Durocher, who was both NSCAA regional and national Coach of the Year in 1999, was among eight Division III soccer coaches chosen for the regional honors and is a candidate for the national award.
He has been Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association coach of the year in every season but one since the Saints joined the conference. The Saint coach, who completed his 12th season at St. Lawrence this fall, has a career record of 138-51-19 and his teams have gone 73-3-4 over the last four seasons with four straight NCAA bids, three regional championships and the 1999 national championship.
In the last eight seasons, his teams have gone 113-24-14, a .795 winning percentage. In addition to his duties as soccer coach, Durocher is also an assistant athletic director at St. Lawrence with oversight on facilities and the new Newell Fitness Center.
BALLANTYNE NAMED SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICA
December 11 — St. Lawrence University senior Jamal Ballantyne was selected as a second team member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division III men’s soccer All-America team last week.
Ballantyne, a forward from Brooklyn, NY, led the Saints in scoring with nine goals and 17 assists for 35 points in the 2001 season. St. Lawrence won their third NCAA Northeast Regional championship in four years before losing to eventual champion Richard Stockton in a 1-0 game in the quarterfinals.
Ballantyne broke records in assists for both a single season and in a career this fall. His 17 assists in the 2001 season broke a mark he had previously set, and his 41 career assists beat out Dana Hollingsworth’s record of 27 set in 1977.
SAINTS FALL TO RICHARD STOCKTON IN
November 17 — The St. Lawrence University men's soccer team's pursuit of a second national championship in three years ended in the NCAA quarterfinals on Saturday night.
Jamie Nelson scored with 6:04 remaining in the second half to give Richard Stockton the only goal they needed as the Ospreys defeated the Saints in a tight, physical 1-0 win over the Saints in front of a crowd of 1,100 fans.
Nelson scored after a direct kick. After several shots were deflected away by St. Lawrence defenders, Mike McAlarnen headed the ball over to Nelson who was alone on the right post for an easy goal.
"We didn't play our game tonight," said Saints coach Bob Durocher. "We were trying to counter attack on them, which we thought would work against their style. We didn't possess the ball, we didn't control it like we normally do."
Injuries contributed to the Saints not playing the way they normally do. Eric Harms, who led the team with 11 goals this season left the game in the 17th minute after a hard tackle and did not return. Matt Bogosian also had to leave the game after a collision with a Stockton player in the fifth minute, but was able to return for the second half.
"Our leading goal scorer didn't play in the game tonight," Durocher said. "That really hurt us. It was an ugly game. They did what they needed to do to win. They tried to put balls in the box and go to them, and they were able to get one on us."
Both teams had a number of scoring opportunities but no one could cash in until Nelson's goal. The Saints had their best scoring chance in the first half when Jamal Ballantyne made a long run down the right side of the field past his defender. Stockton goalkeeper Brett Steinberg came out to play the ball, but Ballantyne got around him. He took a shot as he was falling to the ground, but Stockton defender Mark Dodson dove feet first towards the ball and kicked it out of the face of the goal.
The Saints had another opportunity to score late in the first half when the ball was served from the left side into the box. Ryan O'Dowd laid out horizontally but wasn't able to get solid enough contact on his header to send it into the net.
Stockton had a great scoring chance foiled by Saint goalkeeper Brendan Murphy late in the second half when he stopped a direct kick right outside the box that curled around the wall of St. Lawrence defenders.
The Saints have lost a 1-0 game in the NCAA tournament two years in a row. The team lost to Hamilton 1-0 in the NCAA Regional Championship last year.
The Saints finish the season with an 18-2 record. The loss is just the third in four years for Durocher and the St. Lawrence seniors.
"They had a great career," Durocher said. "You feel bad for them right now, but they'll move on. There aren't many places in the country where you can say your seniors only have three loses." Richard Stockton advances to the NCAA semifinals and will play Ohio Wesleyan. The site, date and times of the semifinal and final games have not been decided.
BALLANTYNE, DUROCHER EARN TOP HONORS, TEN SAINTS EARN UCAA RECOGNITION
November 15 — Jamal Ballantyne was selected as the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association’s men’s soccer Player of the Year and Bob Durocher was selected as the Coach of the Year by the coaches of the UCAA’s member schools on Thursday.
Five Saints joined Ballantyne on the UCAA All-Conference First Team, while four players earned Second Team honors.
Ballantyne, a senior forward from Brooklyn, NY, finished the regular season with seven goals and 15 assists, breaking his own single-season assist record. He broke the school record for career assists and currently has 42, 15 better than the record set by Dana Hollingsworth in 1977.
Durocher won the UCAA Coach of the Year honor for the seventh time in the last eight seasons. Over that time period, he has compiled a 113-23-14 record.
Eric Harms, a senior forward from Manlius, NY, joined Ballantyne on the first team. Harms scored 11 goals and assisted on four to be the second leading scorer behind Ballantyne.
The St. Lawrence defense was also well represented, with Allan Maragh, a senior from Brooklyn, NY, and brothers Shawn, a junior, and Steve Watson, a freshman, both from Scottsdale, AZ, making the first team as well. Senior goalkeeper Brendan Murphy of East Amherst, NY, was also a first team selection for the Saints.
Ryan Carruth, a senior forward from Boulder, CO, Matt Bogosian, a senior midfielder from Manlius, NY, Jon-Michael Olmstead, a junior midfielder from Clifton Park, NY and Carlos Smith, a senior midfielder from Syracuse, NY were all honored as second team selections.
The Saints continue their pursuit of a second national championship in three years with an NCAA quarterfinal game against Richard Stockton in Pomona, NJ, at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.
SAINTS RESPOND TO LACKLUSTER EFFORT WITH 7-0 DRUBBING IN REGIONAL FINAL
November 11 — Even though the St. Lawrence University men’s soccer team beat the Rochester Institute of Technology 2-1 in the NCAA Northeast Regional semifinal on Saturday, head coach Bob Durocher was not satisfied with the performance of his team.
The Saints, who won the Division III NCAA championship in 1999, responded with a dominating performance on Saturday, beating previously undefeated Norwich 7-0 on St. Lawrence’s Sandy MacAllaster Field.
“Yesterday I was pretty upset with (the team),” Durocher said after the game. “It would be easy for them to say ‘Hey, we won.’ But they came out today and responded. I think we’re starting to play with some real spirit, and that’s nice to see.”
The regional championship is the third in four years for the seniors. The Saints, now 18-1 on the season, will play at Richard Stockton in the quarterfinals at 6:30 p.m. opn Saturday. Richard Stockton, 22-1, advanced with a 1-0 win over Rowan Sunday night. Other quarterfinal matchups include Wheaton, MA at Messiah, Luther at Redlands and Ohio Wesleyan at Greensboro. “These seniors have done a lot in four years,” Durocher said. “They’ve lost two games in four years. That experience will definitely help us in the quarterfinals.”
Eleven players scored a point for the Saints, with leading scorer Jamal Ballantyne scoring twice and assisting on another goal. Charlie Bour added two goals in the final 20 minutes for the Saints.
Ryan O’Dowd started the scoring outburst when Ballantyne lofted the ball over the Norwich defense. O’Dowd ran through to the ball, and Norwich goalkeeper Josh McElroy came out to play the ball. The ball took one bounce and O’Dowd headed the ball just over McElroy and into the net.
Ryan Carruth scored the second goal on a shot from the right side of the net. Evan Schutt played the ball to Carruth, who faked as though he was going to touch the ball but let it run right through a Norwich defender’s legs. McElroy was the only person between Carruth and the goal, and the senior captain beat the Norwich keeper with a hard shot to the far side to give the Saints a 2-0 lead at halftime.
The Saints put the game away in the first 15 minutes of the second half, scoring three goals off set plays, two off corner kicks and one off a direct kick.
Ballantyne scored his first of the game just 43 seconds into the second half when Eric Harms lofted a corner kick across the face of the goal to Steve Watson. Watson headed the ball to the middle of the box to Matt Bogosian, who in turn headed the ball to Ballantyne on the left post. Ballantyne easily finished the play for a 3-0 lead.
Ballantyne scored his ninth of the season just over seven minutes later off another corner kick by Harms. The play was almost exactly identical, except Harms kicked the ball from the right to Watson, who headed the ball directly to Ballantyne on the right post for another easy score.
Allan Maragh iced the game with a 20-yard direct kick which he fired into the right side of the net after Norwich’s Gordon MacGregor was ejected after receiving his second yellow card of the game.
The Saints played the final 30 minutes of the game with up to seven freshmen on the field, and they responded, scoring two goals in their first regional championship. Garrett Huntley, seeing his first NCAA tournament action, set up Bour’s first goal with less than 20 minutes to play with a pass from the right side into Bour who played the ball off a hop with an easy shot over McElroy’s head. Bour added his second goal of the game on a similar play with sophomore Eric Bunyan making the pass for the Saints.
“It’s great for our players and our program to get our younger guys in the game to get some experience in a regional final,” Durocher said.
Norwich scored 90 goals in 21 previous games this season and had allowed just 12. Timmy Kyrkostas and Mariano Conte, who combined for 32 goals and 31 assists this season, had just one shot in the game.
Brendan Murphy made two saves for his seventh shutout of the season, and his third in NCAA tournament play. Murphy now has a 6-0 record with a 0.50 goals against average in NCAA tournament games.
The Saints broke the school record for goals set by the 1999 national championship team. The Saints have 65 goals this season, eclipsing the 62 scored in the 1999 season.
WATSON, HARMS SCORE; SAINTS ADVANCE TO REGIONAL FINAL
November 10 — It wasn’t the prettiest game the St. Lawrence University men’s soccer team has ever played, but the team still managed to beat the Rochester Institute of Technology by a 2-1 margin in the NCAA Northeast Regional semifinal on St. Lawrence’s Sandy MacAllaster Field on Saturday afternoon.
“We set our goals before the game, both on offense and defense,” said St. Lawrence head coach Bob Durocher. “We wanted to shut them out, and we didn’t. That was a little disappointing.”
The Saints, who have won 16 consecutive games, will face Norwich University in the regional final on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Steve Watson and Eric Harms each scored to put the Saints ahead 2-0. But the Saints, who had defeated RIT 4-1 earlier this year, struggled to put the Tigers away.
Watson gave the Saints a 1-0 lead after RIT broke up a corner kick. The defense cleared the ball out of the penalty area, but it went right to Eric Bunyan on the right side of the field. He lofted a long ball back across the face of the net to Watson, who headed the ball back the other direction. Tiger keeper Brian Lenzo got a piece of the ball, but it just rolled across the line before any of the RIT players could clear it away.
Ten minutes into the second half, Harms gave St. Lawrence a 2-0 lead off a restart just outside the box. Allan Maragh put the ball in play with a soft lob to Jamal Ballantyne, who touched the ball to Harms, who trapped the ball with his chest. The ball bounced once before Harms turned and kicked the ball out of the air and hit the crossbar before it deflected into the net.
Jared White got the Tigers back in the game with less than 20 minutes to play with a shot along the ground that was just out of the reach of St. Lawrence keeper Brendan Murphy and hit the left post before going in.
RIT had several opportunities to tie the game in the final 20 minutes of play, but couldn't take advantage.
“When we got up 2-0 we went on cruise control,” Durocher said. “Then they scored and it really lifted them. Hopefully this will serve as a wakeup call. Last year we won this game 5-0, then may have been a little overconfident and got beat 1-0 in the final. We had a good talk in the locker room after the game.”
The Saints outshot the Tigers 18-5 in the game, and Lenzo made eight saves for the Tigers, who finish the season with an 11-6-2 record. Murphy made two saves for the Saints.
SAINTS WILL HOST REGIONAL;
November 8 — The road to a possible NCAA Division III men's soccer championship begins in Canton for the fourth straight year and the fifth time in the last six seasons as St. Lawrence University's men's soccer team was awarded the top seed in the Northeast Region by the NCAA selection committee.
The Saints, who completed the regular season 16-1 and are ranked second nationally in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll, will play R.I.T. the winner of a Wednesday first-round game with Cortland , 2-1 in overtime. The Tigers, now 11-5-2, will meet the Saints at 11 a.m. on MacAllaster Field. The other semifinal game will pit Norwich, 20-0-0, against Keene State, 18-3, at 1:30 p.m.with Saturday's winners meeting for the regional championship at 1 p.m. Sunday.
St. Lawrence, the 1999 NCAA champions, sustained their only regular season loss this season and first since 1997 at Cortland in September when the Red Dragons upset the Saints 2-1. SLU has since run off 15 straight victories, a string which includes a 4-1 win over RIT.
St. Lawrence is making its eighth NCAA tournament appearance and its sixth under the guidance of coach Bob Durocher, who has a career record of 136-50-19 in 12 seasons including a 71-2-4 record over the last four years. Durocher is 8-3-2 in NCAA tournament play.
BALLANTYNE LEADS SAINTS TO 15TH STRAIGHT SOCCER WIN
November 3 — Senior forward Jamal Ballantyne set up the game's first goal 12:11 into play and scored an insurance goal with 10:39 to play to lead St. Lawrence University's men's soccer team, ranked second nationally, to a 2-0 win over the University of Rochester in the regular season finale for both teams Saturday afternoon.
It was the 15th consecutive win for the Saints, who finish the regular season 16-1. Rochester is 11-4-2.
Senior midfielder Matt Bogosian took Ballantyne's through pass at the top of the penalty area, moved around a Rochester defender and rifled a shot inside the far post, beating the dive of Yellowjacket starting goalie Brian Minehan for the game's first goal at 12:11. It was the fourth goal of the season for Bogosian.
The Saints, who outshot Rochester 11-4 in the first half, had a chance to add to the lead, but Peter Francis, who took over for Minehan in goal for Rochester to start the second half, made a big save on Steve Watson's diving header attempt off a corner kick to keep it a 1-0 game midway through the second half.
Ballantyne iced the win with his seventh goal of the season when he picked up a loose ball after Francis had come out to block a shot and had it bounce away. Ballantyne controlled the ball just inside the penalty area and rifled a shot into the unguarded cage at 79:21.
Senior goaltender Brendan Murphy needed just three saves to record the shutout for the Saints, his sixth of the year while both Minehan and Francis had six saves in a half of action apiece. St. Lawrence, which has already clinched an NCAA regional bid and is a likely regional host next weekend, outshot Rochester 27-8.
WATSON EARNS UCAA DEFENDER HONORS FOR SECOND TIME THIS SEASON, SAINTS MOVE UP TO NO. 2 NATIONALLY
October 29 — Shawn Watson was selected as the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association Defender of the Week for the second time this season by the conference on Monday.
Watson, a junior from Scottsdale, AZ, scored the game-winning goal in a 3-0 win over Plattsburgh, currently ranked 16th nationally. The goal was set up on a corner kick by Eric Harms.
Harms lofted the ball past the mouth of the goal to Steve Watson, who headed the ball back across the net to his brother Shawn, who headed the ball into the short side of the net. Shawn plays most of the game at the center back position, and the his leadership is one of the reasons the Saints did not allow a goal last week.
The team moved past Williams into second on the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division III national poll on Monday. Williams, who had been ranked No. 1 for several weeks, lost to Middlebury 1-0 in overtime last week. Messiah moved up from second into first place.
The Saints wrap up their regular season schedule with a game against the University of Rochester at 2 p.m on Saturday on Sandy MacAllaster Field. The team will play in the NCAA Regional semifinal next weekend.
BALLANTYNE SCORES ONE, SETS UP THREE; SAINTS ROUT POTSDAM TO IMPROVE TO 15-1
October 27 — Jamal Ballantyne scored one goal and set up three others and three Saint rookies scored their first collegiate goal as the St. Lawrence University men's soccer team won its 14th straight with a 7-0 rout of neighboring rival Potsdam in Potsdam on Saturday afternoon.
The Saints, who will conclude the regular season at Sandy MacAllaster Field at 2 p.m. next Saturday against the University of Rochester, improved to 15-1 on the season and are ranked third nationally.
St. Lawrence allowed Potsdam just one shot on goal, a shot from midfield off the opening kickoff which goaltender Dustin Crooker stopped, and outshot the Bears 33-1.
Freshman Evan Schutt opened the scoring 28:45 into play when he scored his first collegiate goal on a rebound shot after Ballantyne's cross went off the crossbar. Schutt then set up classmate Kyle Krueger's first collegiate goal at 34:10 to make it a 2-0 game at the half.
Ballantyne, who continues to add to his Saint career assist record, set up Eric Harms for Harms' team-leading 10th goal of the year just 30 seconds into the second half as Harms took the ball from the keeper and punched it into the net. Saint freshman Macky Diop was the third rookie to score his first collegiate goal when he took Ryan O'Dowd's pass from the goal line and put it away at the 51:59 mark for a 4-0 Saint lead.
O'Dowd scored his fifth of the season from Ballantyne 2:33 later, and just 27 seconds after that, Ballantyne scored his sixth of the season for a 6-0 Saint lead. Eric Bunyan scored his second of the season from Ezequiel Rodrigo at 76:34 to complete the scoring.
Crooker shared the shutout with freshman Nate Farrell, who played the final 30 minutes and did not see a shot. A trio of Potsdam goalies combined for 12 saves.
SAINTS SCORE THREE IN THE FIRST HALF, BREEZE BY 23rd RANKED PLATTSBURGH
October 24 — The players on St. Lawrence University men’s soccer team know they have already earned an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament, but they haven’t slacked off a bit.
The team earned an automatic bid by winning the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association title, and has won all three of its games since, including a 3-0 win over Plattsburgh today on a slippery Sandy MacAllaster Field as rain fell before, and at times, during the game. The Cardinals are ranked 23rd in the most recent National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll.
St. Lawrence, ranked third this week by the NSCAA, took control early in the game when Shawn Watson scored on a header. Eric Harms set up the goal on a corner kick. Harms, who transferred from Plattsburgh after his freshman year, sent the ball past the face of the goal to Steve Watson. Steve headed the ball back across the net to his older brother Shawn, who headed the ball directly into the short side out of reach of Plattsburgh keeper John Schraner.
Less than five minutes later, Charlie Bour scored his fifth goal of the season to give the Saints a 2-0 lead. Matt Bogosian threw the ball in from the right side near midfield. Jamal Ballantyne, who was named the UCAA Player of the Week on Monday, faked as though he was going to stop the ball, but let it roll past him. Ballantyne rushed past the Cardinal defender and served the ball into the penalty area. It skipped through a Plattsburgh defender, and Bour had the whole left side of the net open to put the ball away.
Carlos Smith scored the final goal of the game with about 13 minutes to play in the first half on a quick direct kick from about 35 yards that caught the Cardinals defense off guard. The goal was the first of the year for Smith, who has come off the bench in the last two games.
The Saints dominated both halves, though they did not tally a second half goal. Brendan Murphy needed just two saves on six Cardinal shots for his fifth shutout of the season. The Saints took 30 shots on Plattsburgh keepers Schraner and Brian Anderson. Anderson made seven saves to keep the Saints off the scoreboard in the second half.
The win is the 13th consecutive win for the Saints, who had a 51-game unbeaten streak broken by Cortland in the second game of the season.
BALLANTYNE IS PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR UCAA CHAMPIONS
October 22 — Jamal Ballantyne was selected as the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Week for the second time this season on Monday.
Ballantyne, a senior from Brooklyn, NY, scored a goal in the Saints 4-1 win over Nazareth, then assisted on three goals to lead the Saints to another 4-1 win on Saturday, this time against RIT. Ballantyne now has ten assists this season, and a total of 35 in his career, which is a St. Lawrence record.
The Saints have three more regular season games before beginning play in the NCAA tournament. On Wednesday, the team faces Plattsburgh, ranked 23rd nationally, at 2:30 p.m. on Sandy MacAllaster Field.
The Saints wrap-up the regular season with a game at Potsdam on Saturday, then a home game against the University of Rochester on Saturday, November 3rd.
SAME STORY, SAME RESULT;
October 20 — For the second consecutive day, four different players scored goals for the St. Lawrence University men’s soccer team. For the second consecutive day, the team won a non-league game by a final score of 4-1 on Sandy MacAllaster Field.
On Saturday afternoon, the Saints thoroughly outmatched the Rochester Institute of Technology, scoring early and never relinquishing the lead to win their 12th consecutive game.
Matt Bogosian scored the first goal for the Saints after a corner kick. Eric Harms played the ball short on the kick, and Jamal Ballantyne sent the ball to the far side, where Bogosian headed the ball in for his third goal of the season.
The Saints controlled the ball for almost the entire first half, but couldn’t get another goal until Phillip Koshi took a 20-yard shot from the left side of the field with less than three minutes remaining in the half. Koshi made a nice move on the RIT defender, got an opening and hammered a hard shot into the right side of the net to give the Saints a 2-0 lead at halftime.
Eric Harms scored his ninth goal of the season in the early moments of the second half. Steve Watson played a long ball from mid-field to Jamal Ballantyne up the right side of the field.
Ballantyne settled the ball near the end line, shook himself free of his defender and served the ball to Harms, who was close enough to the goal that he only needed to bump it with his chest to give the Saints a 3-0 lead.
RIT responded with a goal on a direct kick just over four minutes later. Adam Cisz took a hard shot from 25 yards away that found the lower left corner of the Saints net.
The final goal of the game was the result of a through ball from Ballantyne to Ryan Carruth. Carruth made a hard run with a defender close behind. He stopped and settled the ball and the defender went past him. Carruth, a senior from Boulder, CO, took two more touches before shooting the ball in from close range for his sixth goal of the season.
The Saints outshot the Tigers 27-4. St. Lawrence had seven corner kicks, while RIT had two.
FOUR SCORE AND SAINTS WIN, BEAT NAZARETH 4-1
October 19 — Shawn Watson led the St. Lawrence University men’s soccer team with a goal and an assist to help his team beat Nazareth 4-1 on Sandy MacAllaster Field on Friday afternoon. The win is the 11th in a row for the Saints, currently ranked fourth in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division III poll.
Watson, a junior from Scottsdale, AZ, set up the first goal of the game. Jamal Ballantyne started a run and Watson served the ball from mid-field. Ballantyne, a senior from Brooklyn, NYtimed his run perfectly and was a step ahead of his defender. He slid the ball by Nazareth keeper Brian Harding to give the Saints a 1-0 lead at the 19:03 mark.
Eric Harms scored the second goal for the Saints early in the second half. Ballantyne set up the play with a through ball up the left. Vince Dalpiaz, making his first start of the year, sent a perfect cross to Harms who was inside the six-yard mark and sent the ball into the right side of the net. Harms, a senior from Manlius, NY, leads the team in goals with eight, but had not scored a goal in the Saints last five games.
Ryan Carruth scored his third goal in as many games with less than 15 minutes to play on a breakaway to give the Saints a 3-0 lead. Carruth, a senior from Boulder, CO, faked out Harding and tapped the ball into the left corner of the net for his fifth goal of the season.
Nazareth scored their only goal less than two minutes later when Saint keeper Dustin Crooker, making his third start of the season, came out to grab a crossing pass. Crooker, a sophomore from Horseheads, NY, couldn’t handle the ball, and David Martin ended up with the ball and a wide open net to get the Golden Flyers on the board.
Phillip Koshi set up the final goal of the game on a flip-throw. Koshi, a freshman from Superior, COwas on the left side of the field and threw the ball to the right side of the net. Watson leapt over his defender and headed the ball directly in for his third goal of the season. It is the third time this season that the Saints have scored a goal off a throw-in by Koshi.
The Saints dominated the game, outshooting Nazareth 23-6. St. Lawrence had 10 corner kicks while Nazareth did not have one.
With the win the Saints improve to 12-1 on the season, while Nazareth falls to 3-7-1.
The team will host RIT on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. or after the conclusion of the women’s game with Ithaca, slated for a 1 p.m. start.
SAINTS BEAT HAMILTON IN A TIGHT GAME, CLINCH UCAA TITLE AND EARN AN AUTOMATIC NCAA BID
October 13 — The St. Lawrence University men’s soccer team will be making its fourth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance after defeating Hamilton 2-1 on Sandy MacAllaster Field on Saturday afternoon.
The win is the Saints tenth in a row, and clinches the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association title, which the Saints lost to Hamilton last year despite beating the Continentals 1-0 in the regular season. The Saints finish the UCAA season with a 7-0 record, while Hamilton, who sits in second, has a 4-2 record with one game remaining.
St. Lawrence won the national championship in 1999, but lost to Hamilton in a 1-0 game in the NCAA Regional Final last year.
The win was certainly not an easy one for the Saints, who had to overcome an early 1-0 deficit. Sky Gellatly set up the goal when Saint defender Steve Watson slipped on the grass. Gellatly got around Watson, then sent a cross from the left side. Michael Thompson, who was positioned by the far post, easily headed the ball into the net.
The Saints tied the game when Macky Diop sent a high ball to the top right side of the penalty area. Ryan O’Dowd got a half-a-step ahead of his defender, and Hamilton keeper Douglas Bellard came out to play the ball. O’Dowd got the ball through Bellard and had no one between himself and the net to tie the score going into the second half.
Ryan Carruth scored his second goal in as many days early in the second half for the game-winner. He created the opportunity himself by dribbling to the left side of his defender then took a hard high shot that hit the lower part of the crossbar and deflected into the net.
The Saints outshot the Continentals 26-5, and had 11 corner kicks while Hamilton did not have one. The game was quite physical, and Hamilton was called for 19 fouls while St. Lawrence was called for 18.
With wins over Hamilton and Hobart on the weekend, the Saints have moved up one spot to fourth in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America national rankings.
The Saints will continue their regular season schedule with a pair of non-league games next weekend. Nazareth and RIT will visit Sandy MacAllaster Field, with Nazareth coming to Canton for a 4 p.m. game on Friday. RIT will play the Saints on Friday at 3:30, or following the conclusion of the women's game versus Ithaca, scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
THREE PLAYERS SCORE, SAINTS CAN WIN UCAA TITLE ON SATURDAY
October 12 — Three different players scored goals and the defense allowed just nine shots in St. Lawrence University's 3-0 win over Hobart in an Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association game on Sandy MacAllaster Field on Friday afternoon.
Allan Maragh scored on a penalty kick in the first half, and Ryan Carruth and Charlie Bour added insurance goals halfway through the second half to give the Saints their ninth straight victory. Jamal Ballantyne assisted on the two final goals for the Saints.
The win keeps the Saints in first place in the UCAA. St. Lawrence will play Hamilton on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Continentals sit in second after a 3-1 win over Clarkson on Friday, and the outcome of the game could determine the UCAA champion. Hamilton’s league record is 4-1, and the Continentals have one more league game remaining after tomorrow’s match, but if the Saints win or tie, they will clinch the UCAA title and an automatic NCAA Tournament berth. The Saints defeated Hamilton 1-0 in the regular season last year, but the Continentals avenged the loss with a 1-0 win of their own in the NCAA Regional Final.
Despite a number of chances in the first fifteen minutes of Friday’s game, the Saints couldn’t put the ball in the net until Maragh’s penalty kick. Matt Bogosian and Carruth both hit the crossbar on hard shots in the opening minutes of play, but Ryan O’Dowd’s break with less than fifteen minutes remaining finally got the Saints going.
O’Dowd intercepted a pass, then broke free towards the Hobart net. He was dragged down in the penalty area and the Saints were awarded a penalty kick. Maragh, a senior from Brooklyn, NY, put the shot in the low right corner of the net for his third goal of the season.
Carruth, a senior from Boulder, CO, extended the lead with his third goal of the season. Jamal Ballantyne chipped a pass from near midfield over everyone and Carruth broke through the defense and put the ball in the lower left corner of the net to extend the lead to 2-0.
Bour, a freshman from Rochester, NY, provided the final goal from the Saints. Ballantyne, a senior from Brooklyn, NY, worked the ball towards the net from the end line on the left side. He crossed the ball in front of the net, and Bour headed the ball into the right side.
Brendan Murphy made three saves for his fourth shutout of the season.
WATSON NAMED UCAA DEFENDER OF THE WEEK
October 8 — Shawn Watson was selected as the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association player of the Week by the league office on Monday.
Watson, a junior from Scottsdale, AZ, scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over LeMoyne on Tuesday last week. The game was tied 1-1 when Phillip Koshi executed a flip-throw-in directly into the penalty area that Watson headed directly into the net.
The Saints also defeated Clarkson 2-1 on Saturday, keeping their perfect UCAA record intact.
The Saints will get a chance to win the championship this weekend when they wrap up their league schedule with games against Hobart and Hamilton on Sandy MacAllaster Field on Friday and Saturday.
BOGOSIAN, BOUR LEAD SAINTS TO A 2-1 WIN OVER CLARKSON
October 6 — Matt Bogosian and Charlie Bour each scored a goal to lead the St. Lawrence University men’s soccer team to a 2-1 win over Clarkson on Sandy MacAllaster Field on a rainy Saturday afternoon.
Bogosian, a senior from Manlius, NY, scored at the 20:08 mark on a penalty kick. St. Lawrence was awarded the shot after a restart. Jon-Michael Olmstead served the ball into the penalty area, and Steve Watson headed the ball off the crossbar. In the scramble for the rebound, a Clarkson player was called for a foul to award Bogosian the kick.
Bour’s goal also came in the first half. He had the ball on the right side of the field near the end line, faked left, then right, then went left again. The defender fell down, and Bour cut through two more defenders before shooting the ball to the far post just out of Clarkson keeper Zach Ogden’s reach.
The Saints held the 2-0 advantage for almost the entire second half. Carson Morey scored on a break with just 29 seconds to play to break up the shutout.
The game was physical from the start. Three St. Lawrence players received yellow cards, and two Clarkson players were given yellow cards.
The Saints improve to 9-1 overall, 5-0 in the UCAA, while Clarkson falls to 6-3, 2-3. The Saints will try to wrap up the UCAA championship with two games next weekend. St. Lawrence will face Hobart at 4 p.m. on Friday, and the Hamilton game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start on Sandy MacAllaster Field on Saturday. Clarkson will play Hamilton at 4 p.m. on Friday and Hobart at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
SAINTS ALLOW ONE EARLY, COME BACK TO BEAT LeMOYNE
October 2 — After giving up a goal 47 seconds into the game, Shawn Watson, a junior from Scottsdale, AZ, headed in a throw-in from Phil Koshi, a freshman from Superior, CO, to lift St. Lawrence to a 2-1 win over LeMoyne in a non-conference men's soccer match at Le Moyne College.
Koshi set up the game-winning goal with a flip throw-in from 25 yards out. He directed the throw across the goal mouth where Watson headed it into the side netting for his fourth goal of the season.
LeMoyne jumped on the Saints with the game's first goal 47 seconds into the contest. Francesco Riverso collected a feed from Scott Newman and slipped it past St. Lawrence goalkeeper Brendan Murphy for his 10th goal of the season.
Steve Watson, a freshman from Scottsdale, AZ, opened the scoring for the Saints. He redirected a free kick from Jon-Michael Olmstead, a senior from Clifton Park, NY, to tie the contest at one in the 25th minute.
LeMoyne goalkeeper Craig Palleschi kept the Dolphins in the game with 10 saves, including several from point blank range. St. Lawrence held a 20-10 edge in shots. Murphy stopped three shots for the Saints.
The Saints run their record to 8-1, while Le Moyne dips to 6-5. St. Lawrence, the sixth ranked team in the latest Division III poll, hosts rival Clarkson on Saturday at 2 p.m. on Sandy MacAllaster Field.
BALLANTYNE, MARAGH
October 2 — Jamal Ballantyne and Allan Maragh were both recognized for their performances as men's soccer players by the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association on Tuesday.
Ballantyne, a senior from Brooklyn, NY, was named the UCAA Player of the Week. He set a school record for career assists with numbers 27 and 28 of his career in a 5-1 win over Vassar on Friday. The record was held by Dana Hollingsworth and had been standing since 1977.
Ballantyne also scored a goal and added an assist in the Saints 4-0 win over Rensselaer on Saturday.
Maragh earned UCAA distinction as the Defender of the Week. Maragh, also a senior from Brooklyn, NY, scored two goals in St. Lawrence's win over Vassar. He is the captain of the Saint defense, which allowed only seven shots by opponents in the two games.
The Saints will return to UCAA action this Saturday when North Country rival Clarkson visits Sandy MacAllaster Field for a 2 p.m. start.
FOUR DIFFERENT PLAYERS SCORE,
September 29 — Four different players scored goals for the men’s soccer team in their 4-0 win over Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association opponent Rensselaer on Saturday afternoon.
Ryan Carruth gave the Saints a 1-0 halftime lead after dribbling the ball all the way from midfield, faking out a defender and beating the goalkeeper with a shot in the upper left corner of the net. The goal was the second of the weekend and the season for Carruth, a senior from Boulder, CO, who has seen limited playing time with a pulled hamstring early in the season.
Early in the second half, Jamal Ballantyne took a high pass from Macky Diop at the top of the penalty area, settled the ball, turned and fired a shot into the top left corner of the net to give the Saints a 2-0 lead. Ballantyne, a senior from Brooklyn, NY, broke the St. Lawrence record for career assists yesterday with number 27 and 28 of his career.
Ryan O’Dowd, a freshman from Malvern, PA added a third St. Lawrence goal less than 12 minutes later on a hard shot into the left side of the net. Matt Bogosian, a senior from Manlius, NY, finished the scoring with a goal off a pass from Steve Watson off a corner kick by Eric Harms.
Brendan Murphy recorded his third shutout of the season with four saves, including a diving save to his left in the 72nd minute.
With the win, the Saints improve to 7-1 overall, 4-0 in the UCAA. The Saints, ranked eighth nationally in the most recent National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll, will travel to Syracuse on Tuesday for a non-league game with LeMoyne, then will host Clarkson at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
BALLANTYNE SETS CAREER ASSIST MARK, MARAGH SCORES TWICE, AND SAINTS EXTEND WINNING STREAK TO FIVE
September 28 — Jamal Ballantyne, a senior from Brooklyn, NY, set up two goals to lead the men's soccer team to a 5-1 win over Vassar in an Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association men’s soccer game on Sandy MacAllaster Field on Friday afternoon.
Ballantyne was one assist shy of Dana Hollingsworth's school record of 27 before the game and wasn't content to tie the record. Ballantyne helped the Saints regain the lead to tie the record after the Brewers Dan Tucker tied the game on a harmless looking shot from 30 yards away that bounced through St. Lawrence goalkeeper Brendan Murphy's hands and into the net.
Ballantyne set up the goal from the right side of the net. He chipped the ball over the Vassar defender to himself, then fed the ball to Eric Harms who was in the middle of the penalty area. Harms, who has three game-winning goals and has scored in the last four games, shot the ball in the lower left corner of the net.
Three minutes later, Ballantyne found Carlos Smith a senior from Syracuse, NY, open in the penalty area. Smith rolled to ball directly to Ryan O’Dowd, a freshman from Malvern, PA, who put the ball in the same place Harms did minutes earlier, giving Ballantyne 28 career assists and a school record.
Allan Maragh, a senior from Brooklyn, NY, scored his first goal on a 20-yard shot after a 30-yard run up the left side of the field. He shot the ball low into the far corner to give the Saints a 1-0 lead at the 32:00 mark.
Other than Maragh’s goal, the first 54 minutes of the game were fairly uneventful. That changed, however, after Tucker's goal tied the game. The Saints, ranked eighth in the most recent National Soccer Coaches Association of America national poll, responded with three goals in just over ten minutes.
The Saints' fourth goal came in the 65th minute. Ballantyne took a 20-yard shot toward the top right corner of the net. After Brewer goalkeeper Alex Parra made the save, O’Dowd got the rebound and passed the ball to Maragh who had a wide open net with the keeper unable to recover for Maragh's second goal of the game.
The Saints' final goal was the first of the season for senior captain Ryan Carruth. Carruth, Bouler, CO, was battling for a ball served into the penalty area when the defender was called for a hand ball. Carruth put the penalty kick into the net at the 72:20 mark.
With the win, the Saints improve their record to 6-1 overall, 3-0 UCAA. The team will host Rensselaer on Saturday at 2 p.m. on Sandy MacAllaster Field.
WATSON EARNS UCAA ROOKIE OF THE WEEK FOR EIGHTH RANKED SAINTS
September 25 — Steve Watson was selected as the men's soccer UCAA Rookie of the Week on Monday.
Watson, a freshman from Scottsdale, AZ, scored three goals in two games last weekend, leading the Saints to a sweep of non-league opponents Elmira and Ithaca.
Watson, a defenseman, scored the first two goals of his career on Friday against Elmira.
The team hosts UCAA foes Vassar and Rensselaer this weekend on Sandy MacAllaster Field.
The team, now 5-1 on the season, is ranked No. 8 among Division III teams by the National Soccer Coaches Associaiton of America.
BALLANTYNE SCORES TWO, LEADS SAINTS TO A 4-1 WIN OVER BOMBERS
September 22 — Jamal Ballantyne scored two goals to lead the St. Lawrence University men’s soccer team to a 4-1 win over Ithaca on Sandy MacAllaster Field on Saturday afternoon.
The Saints took a 1-0 lead when freshman Steve Watson, Scottsdale, AZ, scored his third goal of the season on a rebound. Macky Diop took a shot from about 25 yards which hit the crossbar. The ball bounced once before Watson, who scored two goals in yesterday’s 3-0 win over Elmira, headed the ball into the left side of the net, away from the goalie who was out of position after diving to stop Diop’s shot.
Ballantyne, a senior from Brooklyn, NY, gave the Saints a 2-0 lead five and a half minutes later. After Phillip Koshi took a corner kick, Ithaca cleared the ball out of the zone, but Saint midfielder Rasool Alizadeh controlled the ball, and lobbed it to the top of the penalty area where Ballantyne settled it and shot it low past Bomber goalie Ted Meyer.
Mike Alexander brought Ithaca within one to close the half when he beat Saint goalie Dustin Crooker to a loose ball and hit the open net.
Early in the second half, Eric Harms, a senior from Manlius, NY, scored his sixth goal of the season, and his fifth in the last three games, when Allan Maragh made a low cross from the left side into to the goal box. Harms booted the ball into the top of the net to give the Saints a 3-1 lead.
St. Lawrence had 30 shots in the game and only allowed three by Ithaca. This marks the second straight game the Saints have had 30 or more shots while allowing three or less by their opponent.
The Saints have won four straight games after losing to Cortland 2-1 on September 5th, and improve their record to 5-1. The team will resume Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association games next weekend when they host Vassar at 4 p.m. on Friday and Rensselaer at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
WATSON SCORES TWICE, LEADS SAINTS TO 3-0 WIN OVER ELMIRA IN HOME OPENER
September 21 — Steve Watson, a freshman from Scottsdale, AZ, scored his first two career goals in St. Lawrence University’s 3-0 win over Elmira in a non-league men’s soccer game on Friday afternoon. The game was the first home game of the season for the Saints, and the first men’s soccer game ever played on St. Lawrence’s new soccer facility, Sandy MacAllaster Field.
Eric Harms, who was named the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Week on Monday, started the scoring for the Saints. Jon-Michael Olmstead feathered a pass through the defense from the middle of the field, and Harms accelerated through the Elmira defense, into the penalty area and faked out the goalie. Harms, a senior from Manlius, NY, had a wide open net and scored his fifth goal of the season at the 12:41 mark.
Watson increased the Saint lead less than 15 minutes later. Saint freshman Charlie Bour took a corner kick from the right side of the field to start the play. Elmira’s defense cleared the ball, but senior Allan Maragh settled it and served the ball high into the penalty area. Watson (left) had time to settle the ball and shot it into the left side of the net.
The Saints’ final goal came on a throw-in with just over ten minutes left in the half. St. Lawrence had a throw-in deep in the Soaring Eagles’ territory. Phillip Koshi, a freshman from Superior, CO, flipped his body over the ball and skipped the ball through the penalty area to Watson, who headed the ball into the net by jumping horizontally.
The Saints controlled the ball for the majority of the game. The Soaring Eagles only took three shots, and senior goalie Brendan Murphy, East Amherst, NY, needed to make just one save for the shutout. The Saints, however, took 31 shots, and Elmira keeper David Olsson made 14 saves, including ten to shut out the Saints in the second half. St. Lawrence had 16 corner kick opportunities, while the Soaring Eagles did not have any.
The Saints improve their record to 4-1 and will face Ithaca in another non-league game on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
HARMS EARNS UCAA HONORS FOR THREE GOAL PERFORMANCE AGAINST UNION
September 17 — Eric Harms, a senior forward from Manlius, NY, was selected as the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Week on Monday. Harms scored three goals in a
The Saints are the highest scoring team in the league, averaging 2.75 goals per game, one goal more than Union, which is second with 1.75 goals per game.
Jon-Michael Olmstead is tied for second in the league in scoring with two other players with 1.5 points per game, and leads the UCAA in assists with 1.0 a game.
The Saints will play a pair of non-league opponents in their first home games of the season this weekend. On Friday, the team will play Elmira at 4 p.m., and on Saturday the Saints will face Ithaca at 3:30 p.m. Both games will take place on Sandy MacAllaster Field.
HARMS SCORES THREE, GIVES SAINTS A 4-1 WIN OVER UNION IN SCHENECTADY
September 16 — Eric Harms scored three goals in the second half propelling the St. Lawrence University men's soccer teamto a 4-1 win over Union in Schenectady on Sunday afternoon.
Harms' first goal came off an assist from Allan Maragh and tied the game at 1-1. Harms scored again, unassisted, to give the Saints their first lead of the game, and then scored the final goal of the game off an assist from Ezequiel Rodrigo.
Ryan O'Dowd also scored an unassisted goal for St. Lawrence.
Graham Lombardo scored in the first half for Union.
Brendan Murphy made five saves for the Saints, who move to 3-1 on the season, and 2-0 in the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association. Kevin O'Connor made 19 saves for the Dutchmen, who fall to 2-2 overall, 1-1 UCAA.
BOUR'S GOAL GIVES SAINTS OVERTIME WIN OVER SKIDMORE IN FIRST UCAA GAME
September 15 — Charlie Bour scored off a restart from Jon-Michael Olmstead and Shawn Watson 2:22 into overtime to give the Saints a 2-1 win over Skidmore at Saratoga in the first game of the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association schedule for both teams on Saturday afternoon.
Olmstead was on the right side of the field and got the ball to Watson, who skipped it through the penatly area. Bour beat Thoroughbred goaltender Stuart Cowen to the ball to score the game-winning goal.
Olmstead also assisted on the first goal for the Saints on a similar play, getting the ball to Watson who gave the Saints a 1-0 lead.
"We need to start scoring when we set up plays on the run," said Saint coach Bob Durocher. "We're scoring a lot of goals on restarts, which is great, but in this league, we're going to need our offense to convert when we create opportunities as well."
Skidmore forced the overtime period when Brian Picariello scored from Randall Steketee with less than five minutes to play in the game.
The Saints, ranked 22nd in the most recent National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division III poll, are now 2-1 overall, and 1-0 in UCAA competition. St. Lawrence will play Union at 1 p.m. on Sunday, while the Thoroughbreds, 0-3, 0-1, will play Clarkson at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
SEVENTH RANKED SAINTS LOSE TO CORTLAND, FALL TO 1-1
September 5 — St. Lawrence's men's soccer team, ranked seventh among NCAA Division III schools in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll, gave up the first two goals of the game and never recovered, losing to host Cortland 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Kyle Kilmartin scored in the 17th minute off a missed clear to give Cortland a 1-0 lead. Samir Sisic gave the Red Dragons a 2-0 lead in the second half when he put in a rebound of Andy Davis's shot from the right side.
Jon-Michael Olmstead, Clifton Park, NY, scored the lone goal for St. Lawrence on a direct kick less than three minutes after Cortland scored their second goal, but despite a number of chances late in the game, the Saints couldn't manage to tie the game.
The Saints outshot the Red Dragons 18-9 in the game.
"We came out like we'd never played before," Saint coach Bob Durocher said after the game. "Maybe this will be a good thing at this early point in the season."
The Saints drop to 1-1 on the season, and will have a week and a half before their next game. The team will open their league schedule with two away games next weekend, facing Union on Friday and Skidmore on Saturday.
SAINTS OPEN SEASON WITH WIN OVER GENESEO
September 1 — Four different players scored goals for St. Lawrence as the Saints beat host Geneseo 4-0 in the season's first game for both teams.
Jamal Ballantyne led off the Saint scoring with a goal on a penalty kick in the 11th minute. Eric Harms added another goal on an assist from Jon-Michael Olmstead to give the Saints a 2-0 halftime lead.
"I was pretty pleased with the effort today," said Saints coach Bob Durocher. "One of our strengths this year is going to be our depth, but at this point, we aren't in condition to play a full game with our top guys. Almost everyone got in the game today, and they all responded well."
Charlie Bour scored from Matt Bogosian early in the second half, and Eric Bunyan added the final goal with less than three minutes left in the game off an assist from Rasool Alizadeh, who got the ball off a corner kick from Kyle Krueger. The Saints outshot the Knights 14-5, and had six corner kicks to Geneseo's four. Brendan Murphy was St. Lawrence's goaltender and made one save for the shutout.
The Saints will take their 1-0 record to Cortland for another non-league game on Wednesday, Sept. 5 at 7:00 p.m. |
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