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2004 Season Stories
EIGHT SAINTS EARN ACADEMIC AWARD
The eight Saints below have earned Liberty League All-Academic Team status for their excellence in the classroom.
Joseph Domingo Junior Economics
JORDAN JAMES SIGNS PRO CONTRACT
Mar. 4: Jordan James has signed a contract to play with the Wilmington Hammerheads (NC). The Hammerheads play in the USL 2nd Division, and they were 2003 League Champions and Lamar Hunt Open Cup Quarterfinalists.
Considered one of the best run organizations in the country, the Hammerheads have a large fan following in the area, and regularly draw crowds of 4,000+. They are also very involved in the youth soccer scene and James will be involved in youth coaching as well.
For more information on Hammerheads soccer, visit:
ST. LAWRENCE SOCCER ANNOUNCES CAPTAINS FOR 2005 CAMPAIGN
Feb. 22: The St. Lawrence men’s soccer team has announced their captains for the upcoming 2005 season. Elliot Savitz, Steve Watson, and Jason Koshi will lead a Saint squad that finished last season with a 16-3-1 mark. In 2004, SLU won the Liberty League with a perfect 7-0 record, and made their seventh consecutive NCAA appearance.
Savitz was named first-team Regional All-America, first-team Liberty League, and an Academic All-America. He started all 20 games for the Saints and had a goal and three assists for five points in his junior season. Watson earned second team All-American status after leading the Saints in scoring with13 goals and one assist for 27 points. Three of his goals were game-winners. Watson was the Liberty League Player of the Year, a first-team Regional All-American, and first-team Liberty League.
Koshi played in 19 games this season and scored 1 goal and added 3 assists.
SAINTS FINISH ANOTHER
The St. Lawrence men’s soccer team completed another extraordinary year, finishing with a final record of 16-3-1, and winning the Liberty League title with a record of 7-0. The Saints ultimately ended their season with an overtime loss to Williams in the NCAA Sectionals. St. Lawrence was nationally ranked throughout the season. They entered the preseason ranking in 9th place, and were ranked as high as 5th during the season.
Senior back Steve Watson earned second team All-American status after leading the Saints in scoring with13 goals and one assist for 27 points. He also contributed three game-winning goals. Watson was the Liberty League Player of the Year, a first-team Regional All American, and Liberty League first team. Midfielder Elliott Savitz was named first-team Regional All-America, Evan Schutt was named a second-team back, and goalkeeper Jordan James was named to the third team. All three were Liberty League first team members.
Savitz started all 20 games for the 16-3-1 Saints and had a goal and three assists for five points in his junior season. He was also named an Academic All-American this season. Schutt a national All-American last year, was named regional All-America for the second straight year at back. James played every minute of the season in net for the Saints as a graduate student and had a 0.59 goals against average with 10 shutouts. He was also the Liberty League defender of the week throughout the regular season.
Earning second-team All-Liberty League status are senior forward Charlie Bour and junior midfielder Phillip Koshi. Bour is used to league recognition, having earned first-team status the past two seasons. He recorded 3 goals and 2 assists on the year, including 1 game winning goal. Koshi added 1 goal and 6 assists on the year for the Saints.
The Saints will lose 13 players before next season, including: Bour, McIntire, Schutt, James, Garan Diarra, Ezequiel Rodrigo, Ryan O’Dowd, Garrett Huntley, Kyle Krueger, and Nate Farrell, Phillip Koshi, Joe Domingo, and Panos Georgiadis.
Diarra, a steady force in the Saints backfield, started 17 games, and played in 18, adding 2 assists on the year. Rodrigo started 12 games for SLU and played in all 20, notching 4 goals and 2 assists. Two of his goals were game winners. O’Dowd played in all 20 games for the Saints and started 12 of them, recording 3 goals and 5 assists, including 1 game winning goal. J. Koshi played in 19 games this season and scored 1 goal and added 3 assists. Huntley played in 16 games and contributed 2 assists. Krueger was injured for the majority of the season and only saw action in 3 games. Farrell was also injured and did not see time this year.
P. Koshi and Domingo each have enough credits to graduate and will do so at the end of this year. P. Koshi started every game for SLU and contributed 1 goal and 7 assists. Domingo played in all 20 games, starting 6 of them, and scored 2 goals and added 2 assists. Freshman, Georgiadis played in all 20 games and scored 2 game winning goals and contributed 2 assists. He is going to take this spring to travel, and his return in the fall is not definite.
Returning for the Saints are: Watson, Jason Koshi, Savitz, Nick Mangee, Charlie Bogosian, Gil Schaper, Brendan Tougher, Axel Galeano, Chris Lonegan, and a very talented group who just finished their rookie season.
Watson and J. Koshi each have one more year of eligibility and will use them next season. Mangee started 19 games and played in all 20, recording 1 assist. Bogosian, the 2003 Liberty League Rookie of the Year, was injured for part of the season, but played in 15 games and started 4. He scored 2 goals, including 1 game winner, and had 3 assists. Schaper remained a force throughout the season in the forward position, playing in 19 games and earning Liberty League Offensive Performer of the Week for his efforts against Hamilton and Hobart. He came off the bench strong to score 6 goals on the year including 2 game winners. Tougher started all 20 games for SLU in the backfield and added 2 assists. Galeano came off the bench in 15 games this season for the Saints. Lonegan saw action in 12 games this year.
The freshman class will be entering their sophomore year with a lot of game experience and a trip to the NCAA tournament under their belt. The rookie class includes: Sean Charles, David Osorno, Chris Harrison, James Merrill, and Michael Bobbie. Charles played in 19 games on the year and started 2. Osorno played in 12 games, scored 3 goals and had 1 assist. Harrison played in 11 games and had an assist. Merrill played in 13 games and Bobbie saw action in 8 games.
SLU earned the NSCAA/Adidas Team Academic Award for the third straight year, posting a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher during the 2003-04 academic year.
Making the NSCAA East Team Region Academic All-America second team are Savitz and Schutt. Savitz earned a 3.78 and Schutt earned a 3.70, both are History majors. Domingo and P. Koshi earned NSCAA East Team Region Academic All-America honorable mention status. Domingo earned a 3.80 in Economics, and P. Koshi earned a 3.37 in History.
Expectations are high for the St. Lawrence men’s soccer team because they are used to a tremendous amount of success. Next season, the Saints will be attacking another Liberty League Championship, and not only expecting another trip to the NCAA Tournament, but making a run at the National Championship.
JAMES NAMED TO 2005 MLS
SLU goalkeeper Jordan James was named to the 2005 MLS Draft Pool. He was not drafted, but he has been contacted by a couple of A-League teams, re-named the USL 1st Division.
James attended the InfoSport Combine, an MLS and A-League combine held in Florida in the beginning of January, and did very well. He was the only non-Division I goalkeeper to be in the pool, and one of three DIII players in the list. Dan Lader, Salisbury, and Patrick McGinnis, Colorado College, were the other DIII players. None of the three were drafted.
To see the entire draft pool, click on the link:
WATSON NAMED 2 ND TEAM ALL AMERICA; SAVITZ IS ACADEMIC ALL AMERICA
Dec. 17: St. Lawrence University soccer player Steve Watson has been named to the second team NSCAA/adidas Division III All America team by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. In addition, junior midfielder Elliott Savitz was one of eight Division III players named to the 38-player NSCAA/adidas men's College Scholar All America team.
Watson, who played both defender and forward this season, led the Saints in scoring with13 goals and one assist for 27 points and had three game-winning goals.
He was also Liberty League Player of the Year and was a first-team Regional All America. He follows in the footsteps of his older brother Shawn, who was a first-team All america in 2002. Steve Watson becomes the 14th player to earn national All America honors for the Saints since 1996.
Savitz, a history major and Dean's List student, was named to the third team Scholar All America team which includes players from NCAA Divisions I, II and III and NAIA teams.
FOUR SAINTS ON REGIONAL ALL AMERICA TEAM
Four members of St. Lawrence University’s 2004 men’s soccer team were named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Northeast Regional All America team in voting by the regions coaches. Midfielder Elliott Savitz and back Steve Watson were named first-team Regional All Americas while Evan Schutt was named a second-team back and goalkeeper Jordan James was named to the third team. The NSCAA national All America teams will be announced next week.
Savitz, San Diego, CA, started all 20 games for the 16-3-1 Saints and had a goal and three assists for five points in his junior season. Watson, Scottsdale, AZ, was the Liberty League Player of the Year and played both back and forward for the Saints. Named to the regional All America squad as a back, he was also the leading scorer for the Saints with 13 goals and one assist for 27 points and had three game-winning goals.
Schutt, Webster, NY, a national All America last year, was named regional All America for the second straight year at back. James, Liverpool, NY, played every minute of the season in net for the Saints as a graduate student and had a 0.59 goals against average with 10 shutouts.
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAMS EARN NATIONAL ACADEMIC AWARD
Dec. 1: The St. Lawrence men’s and women’s soccer teams each earned the NSCAA/adidas Team Academic Award for posting a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher during the 2003-04 academic year.
A total of 363 intercollegiate soccer programs (73 men, 290 women) were recognized. Of that total, only 53 schools had both its men's and women's teams acknowledged.
This is the second straight year St. Lawrence has had both teams honored.
SAINTS LOSE HEARTBREAKER IN OVERTIME TO WILLIAMS, 0-1 Nov. 20: The St. Lawrence men’s soccer lost to Williams in overtime today to end their season with a mark of 16-3-1. Williams advances to 14-2-2 on the year.
The two teams were very evenly matched and, at the half, SLU had taken 8 shots to Williams’ 7. SLU had many more corner chances in the first period, taking 6 corners to the Ephs’ 2.
The Saints had some chances in the second half. With 37 minutes left in the period, Philip Koshi did a flip throw and it was headed by Joe Domingo (left), but Williams’ goalie Nicholas Armington made a diving save to keep the game scoreless.
Then, with 21 minutes left in regulation, Mark McIntire (lower left) turned and shot a ball that was just wide left by a foot.
Jordan James made some amazing saves in the net today for the Saints. With 35 minutes left, Thomas Day shot a hard ball to James’ left, but he was able to dive and get both hands on it for the save.
Then, with 34 minutes left, Patrick Huffer nearly gave Williams the lead, but James was able to punch the ball away to keep the game scoreless.
After a hard fought second half, the score remained knotted, and overtime was inevitable. One minute and 24 seconds into overtime, Schuyler Riggs stepped up to take a corner kick for the Ephs, and booted it in to Will Ford who then knocked the ball into the upper left corner of the net to give Williams the win.
Overall, the Saints took 13 shots to Williams’ 18, but SLU had more corner chances with 9 to Williams’ 7. James (left) recorded 9 total saves for SLU; Williams’ goalie Nicholas Armington recorded 6 saves and earned the win.
Williams will play Geneseo tomorrow at 1:00 pm at Sandy MacAllaster field in Canton, NY to determine who will move on to the final four in Greensboro, NC.
SCHEDULE FOR UPCOMING WEEKEND FINALIZED Nov. 15: The St. Lawrence men’s soccer team is set to play Williams this Saturday at Sandy MacAllaster Field in Canton, NY at 11:00 a.m. Approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of SLU vs. Williams, Geneseo will play Wheaton (Mass.). The two winners will play on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. to determine who will make the trip to Greensboro, NC the following weekend of November 27-28. The ticket prices for the games are as follows: $6 adults, $3 students, $2 children and seniors. For the complete NCAA tournament bracket, click here.
SAINTS BLANK ROGER WILLIAMS Nov. 13: The St. Lawrence men’s soccer team scored 3 unanswered goals this afternoon at Sandy MacAllaster field to beat Roger Williams and advance to the NCAA Sectionals.
The Saints contributed a group effort today, with three different players scoring on assists from three different men. Mark McIntire scored the first goal for SLU at the 35 minute mark to give the Saints the lead. Jason Koshi (left) lofted a corner kick into the goalie box right in front of the net where McIntire tapped it in for the game winner.
Joe Domingo scored the next goal for the Saints at 53:33 on an assist from Charlie Bour. Bour crossed the ball to the right side of the box where Domingo headed it past the outstretched gloves of Roger Williams goalie Kevin Deegan into the upper left corner of the net.
Steve Watson (left) scored the final goal for SLU at 61:15 on a ball from Philip Koshi. Koshi sent a beautiful cross from 10 yards into the Saints offensive half into the goalie box where Watson headed it into the upper left corner of the net.
Overall, the Saints out shot the Hawks 19 to 4, and took 7 corners to Roger Williams’ 4. It was a very physical game that resulted in 6 yellow cards; 4 for the Hawks, 2 for SLU. SLU committed 17 fouls to their opponent’s 11. On the day, SLU goalkeeper Jordan James made 2 saves. Deegan recorded 9 saves for Roger Williams. The Saints will play Williams College next Saturday; the site is still to be determined. Williams beat Hamilton today 5-1 to advance.
SAINTS TO PLAY SATURDAY IN NCAA TOURNAMENT Nov. 7: The St. Lawrence men's soccer team will play Roger Williams at home in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday, November 13th at 1:00 p.m.
To see the complete NCAA tournament bracket, click here.
SAINTS TIE HAMILTON; Nov. 6: Ninety minutes, plus two 10 minute overtimes would not be enough to break the 0-0 tie for the St. Lawrence Saints and the Continentals of Hamilton. The Saints move to 15-2-1 on the year, Hamilton is now 10-3-2.
St. Lawrence dominated play throughout the game, taking 36 total shots to Hamilton's 14. A very physical game, 7 yellow cards were issued; 5 to Hamilton players, 2 to SLU athletes. Also notable, Hamilton committed 17 fouls to St. Lawrence's 11.
In the 30th minute of the game, Gil Schaper slid and crossed a ball to Joe Domingo who booted a shot just wide left. The Saints had another near miss in the 60th minute when Charlie Bour beat his defender, but lofted it just over the right corner of the goal.
The closest call of the day came with just 16 minutes left in the game. Steve Watson pushed a ball through the legs of Hamilton goalie Anthony Tripicchio, but Tripicchio was able to turn around and dive on the ball before it crossed the goal line with just inches to spare.
In the 85th minute, Hamilton's Nikle Guzijan created a 1 on 1 with Saints goalkeeper Jordan James. Guzijan lofted the ball over James, but Brendan Tougher came flying through the goalie box and booted it out of bounds for the team save.
Another close call came with just over a minute left in regulation. The Saints lined up for a corner kick and Ezequiel Rodrigo booted the ball into the goalie box where Watson headed it toward the goal. Garan Diarra met it and tried to push it through, but after being batted around, the ball was cleared by a Hamilton defender.
After two ten minute overtime periods, the score remained tied at zero. Each team was awarded 5 penalty kicks to solve the match. Elliott Savitz stepped up to take the first shot and Tripicchio was able to get a glove on it for the save. Next, Hamilton's Jacob Shapiro was able to push one through for the Continentals. Watson then tied the score at 1. Hamilton's Patrick Suarez then made it 2-1. Schaper tied it for SLU on the next kick. Chris Breedlove took the next shot for Hamilton and Jordan James made a save to keep the score tied. Domingo then scored for SLU to put the Saints up by 1. Benoit Brocard then tied the score for Hamilton. Evan Schutt stepped up to take the final shot for SLU with the score tied at 3-3 and Tripicchio made the save. Tripicchio then took the final kick himself and beat SLU goalkeeper James to make it 4-3 in penalty kicks.
On the day, Tripicchio made 14 saves for Hamilton; James made 7 for SLU.
The Saints will find out if they will play in the NCAA tournament either late tomorrow (Sunday 11/7) night, or early Monday morning. St. Lawrence has competed in the NCAA postseason every year since 1997. SAINTS ADVANCE TO LIBERTY LEAGUE FINALS WITH 3-0 WIN OVER RPI Nov. 5: The St. Lawrence University men's soccer team (15-2-0) advanced to the Liberty League Finals Friday afternoon with a 3-0 shutout of the Rensselear Red Hawks (9-6-3) at Sandy MacAllaster Field.
Ezequiel Rodrigo scored what turned out to be the game-winner in the 38th minute with Elliott Savitz picking up an assist. Gil Schaper made it 2-0 for the Saints in the 43rd minute when he headed the ball over the outstretched gloves of the Red Hawks goalkeeper. Savitz and Rodrigo had the helpers for the Saints.
Charlie Bogosian gave the Saints a 3-0 lead in the 99th minute off a diving header as time expired. Joe Domingo and David Osorno picked up assists on the goal.
Nick Bochette made six saves in net for the Red Hawks while Jordan James made four saves for the Saints. The Saints will play Hamilton in the Liberty League Finals Saturday at 12:00 p.m. at Sandy MacAllaster Field in Canton, N.Y. WATSON IS LIBERTY LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR, OTHERS EARN RECOGNITION Nov. 4: St. Lawrence University senior men's soccer back Steve Watson has been named 2004 Liberty League Player of the Year in voting by the league's coaches.
St. Lawrence Head Coach Bob Durocher was voted Coach of the Year by his colleagues. Durocher coached the Saints to an undefeated Liberty League season and on overall mark of 14-2 so far this season.
This is Schutt's second time earning first-team all-league honors as a back. James earned first-team status by recording 43 saves, 14 wins, and 7 shutouts on the year.
Earning second-team all-league status are senior forward Charlie Bour and junior midfielder Phillip Koshi. Bour is used to league recognition, having earned first-team status the past two seasons. He recorded 3 goals and 2 assists on the year, including 1 game winning goal. Koshi added 1 goal and 6 assists on the year for the Saints.
The Saints will host the Liberty League tournament this Friday and Saturday, November 5 and 6 at Sandy MacAllaster field. They will play RPI at 11:00 a.m. That game will be followed by Hamilton and Union at 1:00 p.m. The championship game will be at 12:00 noon on Saturday.
SAINTS HAND CARDINALS HOME LOSS Plattsburgh, N.Y.: Mark McIntire scored one goal and added an assist to lead the St. Lawrence University Men's Soccer team to a 3-1 victory over Plattsburgh State in a non-conference battle between two of the top teams in the Northeast Region Wednesday in Plattsburgh.
The Saints (14-2), ranked No. 8 in the country and No. 1 in the Northeast Region in the latest NSCAA National Poll, jumped out to an early lead as McIntire rifled a shot past Plattsburgh keeper, Jeff Adams in the ninth minute of the game.
Ten minutes later, McIntire earned the assist on Ryan O'Dowd's game-winner on a shot from outside the 18-yd box. Plattsburgh State, ranked No. 4 in the region, answered with Mark finishing a through pass from Tim Stanley in the 30th minute.
St. Lawrence finished off the scoring late in the first half as Ezequiel Rodrigo knocked a corner kick off a Plattsburgh defender and into the net with under three minutes to play in the half.
Jordan James stopped two shots for the Saints while Adams turned away six shots for the Cardinals (13-2-2).
SCHAPER EARNS LIBERTY LEAGUE CO-OFFENSIVE PERFORMER OF THE WEEK Gil Schaper earned player of the week honors for his performances last weekend against Hamilton and Hobart. Schaper scored in both games and had the game winning goal against Hamilton.
Schaper continues to be a forceful contribution off the bench for the Saints, scoring 5 goals for 10 points on the year. With two wins last weekend, SLU finishes Liberty League play undefeated. Schaper and his teammates are also ranked 8th in the country.
SAINTS TOP HOBART 5-2; FINISH CONFERENCE PLAY UNDEFEATED The St. Lawrence men’s soccer team received goals from five different players to hand Hobart College a 5-2 loss in the teams’ final regular season Liberty League soccer match this afternoon at Cozzens Field. The Saints are ranked eighth in the nation and will be the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament on Nov. 5-6.
St. Lawrence senior Ryan O’Dowd started the scoring in the 16th minute with a header off of a cross from classmate Charlie Bour. Just over eight minutes later, a Saints striker got loose in the box and was tripped up by Hobart goalie Ben Tamberella, resulting in a penalty kick. Senior defender Evan Schutt stepped up and buried his shot low into the left corner for a 2-0 lead.
The Statesmen (5-11-0, 2-5-0 Liberty) battled back, creating good scoring opportunities of their own. Awarded a corner kick in the 24th minute, senior Ricky Klotz flicked a driven near post service from junior Micke Subotowicz with his heel to cut the lead to one at the break.
The opening 20 minutes of the second half was even soccer, with both teams having their share of possession. However, St. Lawrence senior Steve Watson made it a two goal game with a header finish off of a long throw from Jason Koshi (left). Koshi added a score of his own eight minutes later to put the game out of Hobart’s reach. Klotz completed the scoring with his second goal of the game after Subotowicz’s initial breakaway attempt was stopped by Saint goalie Jordan James.
St. Lawrence (13-2-0, 7-0-0 Liberty) outshot the Statesmen 16-11, while both teams earned six corner kicks for the afternoon. This marks just the second time this season the Saints have sacrificed more than one goal in a contest.
Tamberella made two saves for Hobart in goal, while James had a pair of stops for the Saints. Head Coach Bob Durocher added that, “Jordan James and Gil Schaper continued to be very consistent for us. James has been a rock all season, and his numbers prove that. Schaper added goals both days this weekend that were huge for us. He’s been extremely steady off the bench.”
Durocher continued, “I’m really happy for our seniors. As freshman, they finished conference play undefeated, and they were able to go out that way as seniors. This is a great way for them to finish.”
SLU MEN BEST HAMILTON, 2-1; The St. Lawrence men’s soccer team beat regionally 5th ranked Hamilton this afternoon to improve their record to 12-2-0 overall, 6-0-0 in the Liberty League. With the loss, Hamilton falls to 9-3-0 overall, 4-2 in conference.
In the 27th minute, Ezequiel Rodrigo (left) scored an unassisted goal to give the Saints the lead. During the 41st minute, Charlie Bogosian booted a pass into the goalie box where Gil Schaper found net on a diving header. One minute later, Hamilton’s Aaron Smith scored on a header from Cy Philbrick.
With the win, Head Coach Bob Durocher’s squad has clinched first place in the Liberty League (formerly the UCAA). The SLU men have won the conference championship every year since the UCAA was formed in 1995. The Saints, who are ranked 8th nationally, return to action tomorrow at Hobart at 2:00 p.m. for their last Liberty League contest of the year.
SLU OVERPOWERS SKIDMORE, 5-0 The St. Lawrence men’s soccer team dominated Skidmore today at MacAllaster Field, 5-0. With the win, the Saints move to 11-2 on the year, 5-0 in the Liberty League. The loss drops the Thoroughbreds to 7-5 on the year.
The Saints scored early and often today with Charlie Bour starting the drive for SLU. Bour scored a goal on an assist from Brendan Tougher in the 13th minute. At the end of the first half, David Osorno found net on an assist from Chris Harrison.
The Saints scored again at the beginning of the second half. Steve Watson headed a ball in to the bottom left corner of the net off of a flip throw by Philip Koshi. Ryan O’Dowd scored an unassisted goal in the 58th minute of play to make it 4-0.
In the 73rd minute, Jason Koshi had a one-on-one with Skidmore goalie Rollie Kielman and Kielman made a great save; unfortunately for Skidmore, the save bounced to a charging Osorno who found net for his second goal of the afternoon.
SLU goalie Jordan James recorded 3 saves and the shutout, Skidmore goalkeeper, Kielman, notched 7 saves in the loss.
The Saints next game is Friday, October 22 at Hamilton at 4:00 p.m. MARK MCINTIRE SCORES 2 IN SLU WIN The SLU men’s soccer team dominated Union this afternoon at MacAllaster Field, 3-0. With the win, the Saints move to 10-2-0 on the year, 4-0-0 in the Liberty League. Union falls to 5-6-0 on the year.
In the 18th minute of play, Mark McIntire (left) scored an unassisted goal to give the Saints the lead. McIntire stood at the left side of the goalie box and booted a shot over the diving Union goalie. The ball hit the top right corner of the net for the score.
In the second half, McIntire found net again, this time on an assist from Charlie Bour. With less than 10 minutes remaining, Gil Schaper drove a ball in the net on assists from McIntire and Garrett Huntley.
The game was lopsided from the start; SLU managed 13 shots to Union’s 2. In a highly emotional game, the Saints picked up 13 fouls. Union recorded 14 fouls and four yellow cards.
Union goalkeeper Matt Mayerhofer saved 5 balls on the day. SLU goalie Jordan James recorded 2 saves and the shutout.
The Saints return to action tomorrow at MacAllaster Field against Skidmore at 2:00 p.m. JAMES EARNS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR SLU goalkeeper Jordan James earned the Liberty League Defensive Player of the Week Honor for last weeks games against Potsdam, Clarkson, and Ithaca.
James recorded 10 saves last week to help the Saints go 2-1, improving their overall record to 9-2, 3-0 in the Liberty League. On the year, James has 35 saves and 5 shutouts.
SAINTS FALL TO ITHACA, 1-0 Ithaca, NY - The #6 St. Lawrence men's soccer team fell tonight to #15 Ithaca, 1-0. There was no score in the first period of play, but both teams notched 8 shots. The teams seemed very evenly matched with SLU taking 12 shots and Ithaca taking 13. Glen Palilla scored on an assist from Shigeru Aoe in the 58th minute to clinch the game for the Bombers. Ithaca goalie Ted Meyer made 11 saves and recorded the shutout, while SLU goalie Jordan James made 5 saves in the loss. The Saints will be back in action this Friday and Saturday at home against Union and Skidmore.
SAINTS TOP CLARKSON, 4-0 Potsdam, NY - After a closely played first half, St. Lawrence came out with three second half goals to defeat the Clarkson University Men's Soccer team 4-0 in a Liberty League conference game Saturday afternoon at Clarkson Field.
The Golden Knights fell to 3-8 overall and 1-2 in the Liberty League, their third straight loss, while St. Lawrence improved to 9-1 overall and 3-0 in the conference with their fourth consecutive shutout.
The two teams played evenly for most of the first half with the Saints picking up some momentum with a late goal scored by Gil Schaper on a quick cross from Panos Georgiadis. The Saints scored three goals in the second half in which they out shot Clarkson 8-1 and held a 4-0 advantage in corner kicks. Steve Watson scored on a header at 59:42 and Philip Koshi and David Osorno each added goals in the final 22 minutes on shots from the right side of the penalty box.
St. Lawrence owned a 16-4 shot advantage and had nine corner kicks to Clarkson's one. David Hennessey made four saves in the first 28 minutes before leaving with an injury while Greg Dunton made a single save for Clarkson in relief of Hennessey. Jordan James made two saves for the Saints.
The Saints return to action tomorrow at Ithaca at 1:00 p.m.
SLU MEN SHUTOUT POTSDAM The St. Lawrence University men’s soccer team dominated SUNY Potsdam today in a mid-week contest. The Saints scored 1 goal in the first period and 2 in the second to make the final score SLU 3, Potsdam 0.
Throughout the game, the Saints were in control. The total shots tell a story of complete domination with SLU taking 38 shots and Potsdam taking only 5. In the 37th minute, Joe Domingo found Panos Georgiadis for the score to put the Saints in the lead. During the 63rd minute, Garan Diarra found Domingo who put away the Saints second goal of the day.
Finally, in the 84th minute, Jason Koshi stepped up to boot a foul shot that was placed to the left of the field in the goalie box. Rather than take the shot himself, he rolled it to Bour who was virtually unguarded because the defense was prepared for the direct shot. Bour then closed the door on his second goal of the season.
With the win, the Saints move to 8-1-0 on the year; the Bears fall to 3-8-1. SLU goalie Jordan James recorded 3 saves and the shutout; Potsdam goalkeeper Adam Youmelle notched 9 saves.
The Saints will be back in action this Saturday and Sunday at Clarkson and Ithaca, respectively. Both games will be played at 1:00 p.m.
FORMER SAINT EARNS PROFESSIONAL HONOR Montreal Impact goalkeeper, and St. Lawrence graduate, Greg Sutton won the 2004 A-League Most Valuable Player award and was also crowned the Impact’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Greg Sutton picked up 16 shutouts in 25 starts in 2004, a personal best and a team record. His 16 shutouts tie an A-League record, set in 1998 by Pat Onstad with the Rochester Rhinos. His goals-against average of 0.54 this season, the third lowest in A-League history for a season of 20 games or more, earned him the A-League’s Goalkeeper of the Year award for the second straight year. He was picked on the first All A-League team for the second straight year.
For more, go to http://www.montrealimpact.com/index.asp
SAINTS DEFEAT VASSAR, 1-0 St. Lawrence forward Ezequiel Rodrigo took a pass from back Steve Watson at 57.21 left in the second half and slipped the ball past both the Vassar defense and an outstretched goalie Matt Parker to propel St. Lawrence to a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Prentiss Field.
The game was not without its drama. Vassar came within inches of tying the game when midfielder Court Steiner hit a head shot by St. Lawrence goalkeeper Jordan James as time expired, however the ball bounced off the crossbar and over the goal.
The narrow miss was just last in the line of frustrating moments for Vassar. For nearly the entire game, they played evenly with the division-powerhouse Saints, but in the end were left with a loss.
Defensively, both teams played well, especially during the first half. There were few offensive drives, and neither team could gain much momentum. When they needed to, both goalkeepers were able to make big plays. Vassar goalie Matt Parker made a leaping one-handed block to rob forward Mark McIntire of a goal at 3:03 in the first half. Minutes later, James returned the favor by making a diving save of an Aldis Butler shot. In total, Parker had 13 saves and James had 7.
Said Rodrigo said of the goal, "I've been having good combinations with Steve. He passed it to me and I was able to chip it in between the two Vassar guys."
Until the Steiner shot, neither team had very many other scoring opportunities in the second half. Both teams employed effective defenses to dissolve the opposing offense.
St. Lawrence head coach Bob Durocher praised the work of both his team and the Brewers, "They came out playing hard. Vassar always plays us well. This was a well-played game. There was a lot of excitement there at the end."
The loss to St. Lawrence was Vassar's third consecutive 1-0 loss. The Saints improve to 7-1 overall, 2-0 in the Liberty League. SLU will play Potsdam at home this Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. SAINTS EDGE RPI, 1-0 Sept. 24: Steve Watson scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season in the 50th minute off a setup by Evan Schutt and it turned into his second game winner of the year in a 1-0 win at Rensselaer in the Liberty League opener for both teams.
Jordan James made four saves to protect the lead for the Saints, earning his second shutout of the season. RPI goaltender Nick Bochette made 10 saves for the Engineers, who sustained their first loss of the season.
The Saints, who played RPI to a scoreless tie in their last meeting in Troy, improved to 6-1-0 overall and got off to a 1-0 Liberty League start. The Sants are 11-2-1 in conference regular season play over the last two seasons and have won back-to-back conference tournament championships. RPI is 3-1-3 and 0-1.
The Saints will play at Vassar tomorrow at 3:00 p.m.
SAINTS SLIP PAST CORTLAND 2-1 The St. Lawrence University Men’s Soccer team edged out SUNY Cortland at MacAllaster field today, 2-1. The Saints improved their record to 5-1-0 with the win; the loss gives Cortland a 3-4-0 mark on the year.
The first goal came in the 18th minute of play. Cortland Forward, Sean Malone scored an unassisted goal to give the Red Dragons the lead. Junior Steve Watson scored 20 minutes into the second period to tie the game. The assists went to Philip Koshi and Nick Mangee.
It looked like overtime was inevitable for these two teams, then, with less than 5 minutes remaining, Mark McIntire scored an unassisted goal to put the Saints in the lead. St. Lawrence was able to hold on and capture their 5th win on the year.
The Saints dominated for the majority of the game, taking 18 shots to Cortland’s 9. SLU goalie Jordan James recorded 3 saves on the day; while Sean Trask, the Red Dragon goalkeeper, saved 4 shots. The Saints are back in action next Friday, Sept. 24th at Rensselaer. ST. LAWRENCE DOMINATES RIT 3-1 The Saints cruised to a 4-1 record today with a 3-1 win over the RIT Tigers. All three St. Lawrence goals came in the first period, the Tigers scored in the second period.
It only took four and a half minutes for St. Lawrence’s Charlie Bour to find the RIT net. The spectacular play was started by Philip Koshi who flipped down the grass slope on the eastern side of the field to throw the ball into play.
The ball flew to the opposite post, 15 yards out. There, it met Brendan Tougher who headed the ball to Bour. Bour finished the play by heading Tougher’s header just over the outstretched arms of the RIT goalie, Nate Andrews.
Twenty-five minutes into the game, Ryan O’Dowd found Charlie Bogosian who finished for his first goal of the season. At 28:30, Gil Schaper found the net for the Saints. The play was set up by Evan Schutt who passed to O’Dowd, who then found Schaper for the goal.
In the second period, RIT freshman Mark Frisicano found the net for his fourth goal of the year. At the 89 minute mark, RIT’s Mike Lawson tried to float a shot over Jordan James in the net. James leapt and, with an outstretched hand, tipped the ball over the crossbar for a save.
Andrews, the RIT goalie, notched one save in his first loss on the year. Saints goalkeeper, James, recorded 3 saves.
The Saints are back in action tomorrow Sept. 18th at 2:00 p.m. They face Cortland at MacAllaster Field.
SAINTS OVERCOME GENESEO 2-1 The SLU men’s soccer team beat SUNY Geneseo earlier today to break even for the weekend. With the win, the Saints move to 3-1 on the year. Coach Bob Durocher explained, “It has been a tough weekend. With Steve Watson getting a red card early in the second half, we were forced to play without our leading scorer. It was gut check time and these guys played well.”
Watson and Mark McIntire scored unassisted goals today to lift the Saints over the Blue Knights. “Jordan James had another amazing day in the net for us,” remarked Coach Durocher. “Sean Charles and Brandon Tougher did a great job in the back today; and Garrett Huntley played very consistent for us,” explained Durocher.
Coach Durocher and his staff played 23 men today. They continue to mix up the chances and playing time in order to figure out what is going to work best going into conference games. “We’re still missing something,” Durocher explained, “I’m not quite sure what it is yet, but I’ll find it because these guys can be better.”
SAINTS LOSE 2-0 TO ROCHESTER The St. Lawrence Men’s Soccer Team lost their first game of the year tonight versus Rochester 2-0. "Our guys just didn't come to play today," stated Coach Bob Durocher.
Rochester used goals from Ben Cross and Nate Micklos plus a throughly dominating performance to hand the Saints their first loss of the season.
The Yellowjackets, who won all three matches in the first week (Alfred, Oswego, St. John Fisher), were ranked #14 in the first Division III poll of the season.
Control was achieved in midfield, led by Cross, Jeremy Goice, Damien Hallatt, and Brian Tuohy. Gary Stom was a threat all evening long. He was denied three bonafide chances thanks to a series of acrobatic saves by SLU goalkeeper Jordan James.
The match was just over a minute old when a ball came to Stom at the top of the box. His rocket, ticketed for just under the bar, was punched over the bar for a corner kick by James. The corner was sent to the back post to Springer and his open header thudded against the crossbar.
Seven minutes later, Maltzman dummied the ball past a defender on right wing. He crossed it to a wide-open Stom in the area and Stom's right-footed blast for the low right corner was saved brilliantly by James.
Stom earned his revenge before the game was 20 minutes old. He dashed down right wing with the ball and lofted it near the top of the area. It came to Cross who flicked a header into the low left corner of the goal at 19:31. The Saints pressed for an equalizer, looking to hit striker Steve Watson as a target man. They were especially dangerous in the offensive end thanks to long 'flip' throw-ins by Philip Koshi. Springer drew the assignment of Watson and marked him well.
A minute into the second half, James denied Stom again. The Yellowjacket forward burst down right wing and curled into the box with a teammate streaking down the middle. James came to the near post. When Stom hit the ball, it dipped sharply towards the net, rather than floating as a cross. James was able to back-pedal and punch it clear.
The Yellowjackets added a crucial insurance goal with just over 10 minutes to play. Stom saved a ball in the left corner and pushed it along the touchline to Matt Sulkin. He lofted it into the box where Micklos headed it into the low right corner.
For the Yellowjackets, Jack Burgasser made one save to pick up his first complete-game shutout. The Saints play Saturday, September 11th at Geneseo at 7:00 p.m. "We need to bounce back tomorrow," added Coach Durocher. SAINTS MOVE UP IN RANKINGS The St. Lawrence Men’s Soccer Team will enter this weekend ranked 5th nationally. The NSCAA/adidas national rankings committee has also named the Saints the best team in the Northeast with a 1st place ranking in their region.
St. Lawrence plays Friday, September 10th, at Rochester at 7:00 p.m. They will face Geneseo on Saturday, September 11th at 3:00 p.m. PAIR OF SAINTS COMPETING Former Saints Jamal Ballantyne and Greg Sutton are currently competing for St. Vincent & The Grenadines and the Canadian National Team, respectively. Ballantyne and St. Vincent & The Grenadines will compete against St. Kitts & Nevis Friday, September 10th. They will then play Mexico on Wednesday, September 22. Greg Sutton is in the Canadian World Cup Team Player Pool. Canada will play Honduras Saturday, October 9th, and Costa Rica Wednesday, October 13th.
STEVE WATSON EARNS LIBERTY LEAGUE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD Junior Forward Steve Watson was named the Liberty Leage Offensive Player of the Week after scoring 6 goals in 2 games to lead the Saints to a first place finish in the Lotto North Country Classic.
The Saints opened the season with a 4-1 victory over Muhlenberg and then blanked Frostburg State 6-0. Two of Watson's goals came against Muhlenberg, the other four against Frostburg State.
SAINTS CLAIM LOTTO TOURNAMENT WITH CONVINCING 6-0 WIN OVER FROSTBURG STATE St. Lawrence won the tournament with a 2-0 record after besting Frostburg State 6-0 in the early game on Sunday. In the first game on Sunday, St. Lawrence controlled the game throughout, tallying two goals in the first half and four more in the second half.
Steve Watson scored four times to lead St. Lawrence, giving him six goals on the season. Evan Schutt scored his first goal of the season on a penalty kick in the first half and Elliott Savitz tallied his first score on a cross from Ryan O'Dowd, who had two assists on the day.
Jordan James recorded the shutout for the Saints without having to make a save, while Bryn Varhol made seven saves for Frostburg State.
Watson, O'Dowd, Shutt and Ezequiel Rodrigo were named to the All-Tournament team. Frostburg State had three players named to the team with Jo-Jo Duah, Kodjo Gnatiko, and Onyibo Ilochi gaining honors.
SAINTS OPEN SEASON WITH 4-1 WIN OVER MUHLENBERG Potsdam, NY – Junior Steve Watson scored two goals as St. Lawrence University defeated Muhlenberg 4-1 in the opening round of the Doug May Lotto Classic Saturday afternoon at Clarkson Field.
St. Lawrence will face Frostburg State at noon on Sunday, while Muhlenberg will play Clarkson University at 2:00 pm tomorrow.
Watson opened the scoring at the 2:02 mark in the first half when his initial shot attempt was blocked by the Mules’ goaltender Chris Davis. Davis deflected the shot right back at Watson who guided the ball off his shin and into the net for a 1-0 Saints’ lead.
Muhlenberg came back at the 33:02 mark with a pretty goal from James Henshaw. Karim Assous sent a hard cross from the right side of the field to Henshaw at the left side of the penalty area and the junior striker one-timed a shot past Saints’ goalie Jordan James.
The Saints outshot Muhlenberg 16-6 overall and enjoyed a modest 5-4 advantage in cornerkicks. Davis made three saves for the Mules, while James was only tested on one shot on goal.
SAINTS SHOOT FOR SEVENTH STRAIGHT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE The St. Lawrence University men’s soccer team is set to open the season this weekend in the Lotto North Country Tournament. Ranked ninth in the nation in the NSCAA/adidas pre-season poll, the Saints look to begin another successful year. A group that is used to winning, the senior class has a three-year record of 51-7-3 and the Saints have made six straight NCAA tournament appearances.
Here's a peek at what's in store for the 2004 St. Lawrence University Men’s Soccer Team:
FORWARDS Although Coach Bob Durocher has not finalized his starting lineup yet, the Saints will look to Steve Watson, Charlie Bogosian, Ryan O’Dowd, Charlie Bour, Mark McIntire, Eze Rodrigo, Jason Koshi, and Joe Domingo to provide offense. Other players who could play critical roles up front are James Merrill and Panos Georgiadis. Coach Durocher thinks that Watson could chase the record for goals in a season that is currently set at 16; and Bogosian, who was the UCAA Co-Rookie of the Year last year, is a pure athlete with Division 1 speed who will be an impact player for the Saints. As seniors, O’Dowd, Bour, and McIntire will bring much experience to the lineup. O’Dowd is a strong player who has had a lot of starts in his three years here. Bour, who is a captain this season, is a very technical player whose ball control will be essential to setting up attacks. McIntire who, in the past, has been a role player for the Saints has scored huge goals and is constantly creating chances. Rodrigo is a senior who will start in either a forward or midfield position for the Saints this season. He has been described by his coaches as crafty and dangerous in the offensive third of the field. Jason Koshi also will see a lot of time this season. The senior is known for his work ethic and leadership. Coaches describe Domingo as a composed playmaker up front who will see time throughout the year.
Merrill and Georgiadis could see time in either the front or midfield for the Saints. Coach Durocher describes Merrill as being a very hard worker and having tremendous speed. Georgiadis is a very technical player, also with great speed.
MIDFIELDERS The Saints are excited to have Phillip Koshi back after missing practice time with a torn ACL. His long throw is not only essential to playing in the midfield, but it sets up chances and helps to fuel the offense. According to Coach Durocher, Nick Mangee, who is coming off of an injury, is looking better than ever. Elliot Savitz will also play a key role for the Saints this season. His speed, passing, and distribution abilities will be essential in the midfield. The Saints will look for Gil Schaper to continue to be very consistent this season. Also, David Osorno, who is quick and deceptive, will see time in the midfield as well. Axel Galeano, a skillful sophomore, will also contribute in the midfield this season.
DEFENSE Evan Schutt, Brendan Tougher, Chris Harrison, Sean Charles, and Garan Diarra will all see time in the back this season. Senior Captain Evan Schutt, who was a second team All-American last season, is described as a very intense player who will lead from the back. Having 18 starts as Rookie, Tougher will anchor the middle of the backfield. Harrison, who is only a freshman, is a smart and technical player who will see time this season. Charles, also a freshman, is a big, strong back with speed who will contribute for the Saints. Diarra is a strong, intelligent defender who will have plenty of chances to contribute this year. Messan Agbossoumonde and Mike Bobbie will also see time in the backfield this year. Kyle Krueger, a senior who started every game last year, is not healthy and will not start the season.
GOALKEEPER The Saints will look to Jordan James, a captain, to anchor the net. Coach Durocher explained James as a vocal leader who takes goals personally. Senior Nate Farrell will be a solid backup for James in the net. THE SEASON
When talking about the upcoming season, Coach Durocher was quick to point out that each competition will be tough. The Saints will have to play each game to win in order to fulfill the expectations that they have placed upon themselves. The senior class, which has been to the NCAA tournament all three years and to the national semifinals in 2002, will accept nothing short of a National Championship to consider this year a success.
A team that Coach Durocher says has more depth of any team in recent years; the Saints are at least two men deep in each position, a quality that will be essential late in games. St. Lawrence is stacked with 24 returning players, as well as 6 freshmen.
According to Coach Durocher, practices have been very competitive and the Saints are working hard to earn time. The coaching staff works hard to make every drill in practice a competition. This creates game-intensity situations on a daily basis, and allows each player to know where he stands on the depth chart.
Last season, Coach Durocher felt that his team was too complacent, and that slow starts attributed to losses. He added that, “this year, we need to score more goals and play together.” Coach Durocher is anxious to see if this group has the hunger and desire that is needed to carry them through the post-season.
MEN’S SOCCER RANKED 9TH IN PRE-SEASON POLL The NSCAA/adidas pre-season poll ranked the Saints ninth in the Nation this week. Trinity of Texas, which went 24-0-0 last year, is first. This year's senior class takes a three-year record of 51-7-3 into the upcoming season, and the team has made six straight NCAA tournament appearances.
The Saints will face their first opponent in the Lotto Classic at Clarkson the weekend of September 4th and 5th. Their first game will be Saturday, September 4th against Muhlenberg at 2:00 p.m.
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