Rockville Centre, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Soccer team clinched its first-ever ECC Regular Season title by way of a 1-1 draw with Molloy College on Saturday afternoon at the RVC Sports Complex in Rockville Centre.
STAC moves to 9-3-3 overall and 6-1-2 in ECC play, while Molloy closes out its regular season at 9-6-3 and 5-2-2 within the conference. Both squads will advance to the East Coast Conference Men's Soccer Tournament, beginning on Wednesday, November 10.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The teams failed to score in the opening half, with the host Lions taking a 6-2 shots advantage over the Spartans through the first 45 minutes of play. STAC keeper Asier Vegas came up with three key saves in the stanza, while Molloy goalie Nick Conklu made two stops to keep the scoreboard at all zeros.
Following the break, St. Thomas Aquinas and Molloy traded three shots each to start the half, before a handball inside of the box by a Spartan defender off of a corner kick resulted in a penalty kick being awarded to the Lions. Peter Meyer would get the opportunity to put Molloy up 1-0, and would do just that, booting a rising shot past Asier Vegas to take the lead in the 67th minute.
STAC would continue to work and create opportunities to tie the match, which would occur in the 80th minute. Ryan Collins would send a cross-field pass into the box, looking for either a teammate's head or foot. The ball went into and out of the hands of keeper Nick Conklu, who could not control it, and would fall to the foot of Jorge Umana, who fired a shot to the back of the net to even the score at one goal apiece.
Both squads would play conservative in the final 10 minutes of regulation, with only one shot being registered by the Spartans, forcing extra time.
In the first overtime period STAC would have the only chance of the frame, which was a quality scoring opportunity via a header by Alexander Taylor. Unfortunately, Nick Conklu was in the right place at the right time and made a huge stop to keep the match tied 1-1 through 100 minutes of action.
After a short break, the teams retook the pitch for a second overtime stanza. Molloy would get their best chance to end the match just two and a half minutes into the period, as Peter Meyer would fire a laser of a shot toward goal. However, Asier Vegas' best friend at that moment, the crossbar, kept the ball out of the net and the game tied to the final buzzer, giving each team a critical point the ECC standings.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The Spartans will play the in the East Coast Conference Tournament for the first time since 2018
- Jorge Umana's goal in the 80th minute is his seventh of the season, putting him just behind teammate Anthony Bolivar Sanchez, who has nine goals.
- STAC outshot Molloy 12-11 in the match, but both teams were even in corner kick opportunities with eight apiece.
- Umama registered six shots on the afternoon, with one going on goal and into the back of the net.
- Asier Vegas (8-2-2) stopped 4 of 5 shots faced to help preserve the tie.
COACH BROWN'S REACTION
"I am incredibly proud of what this team has accomplished this season", said Head Coach Graham Brown. "These guys have battled through injury and illness all season long, and to be able to earn a draw against a very tough Molloy squad, while playing a lineup filled with first-year players, just shows what this group is made of. We will be back at full strength when we open the postseason on Wednesday, so we cannot wait to get the ECC Tournament started."
UP NEXT
The top seeded Spartans will host the #4 seed University of Bridgeport on Wednesday afternoon, November 10. Kickoff is set for 1:30pm at Spartan Field in Sparkill.