Setting The Scene
Date: Friday, Nov. 23, 2007
Location: Tampa, Fla.
Kickoff: 7:30 PM Eastern
Stadium: USF Soccer Stadium
Stadium Capacity - Surface: 4,000 - Bermuda grass
A feisty performance by Patriot League Champion Colgate wasn't enough to overthrow the favored and home standing USF Bulls, who move on to the second round of the NCAA Championships with a 2-1 victory over the Raiders Friday night at the USF Soccer Stadium.
"I give Colgate a lot of credit, they were very organized," said USF head coach George Kiefer. :We felt like they were going to pull it back a lot against us, but they stepped their line up high."
The Bulls (13-5-2) controlled the run of play throughout the first half, with five of six shots finding the Colgate frame. USF keeper Diego Restrepo went unchallenged in the opening 45 minutes by the Raiders (9-6-5), who had difficulty mounting quality chances in the offensive end, taking only two shots that both fell wide of goal.
"It was a very exciting game," said Colgate head coach Erik Ronning. "I thought it was an equally played game. We missed a couple chances at the end to tie it up. I thought our guys deserved better but we played our hearts out and left everything on the field against a very good South Florida team. I wish them the best of luck in the second round."
The Bulls broke through in the 19th minute when senior midfielder Simon Schoendorf found sophomore Jason Devenish with a probing square ball. Devenish muscled it on target with his first touch, a powerful finish inside the lower right side netting.
Against the run of play Colgate equalized shortly after the intermission, when a strike from distance by junior Glenn Volk in the 54th minute found the target. From 40 yards fellow defender Chris Koontz was provider, sending a seemingly harmless pass to his back row partner just inside the left touch line. Koontz turned toward the target and floated a knuckling prayer on frame, which hit the hands of Restrepo, but then breezed through his gloves and found the net to his lower left.
The junior Volk found his scoring touch in the post-season. His first career goal against Lafayette in the Patriot League final was the only one charted by either side, and his second the only tally for the Raiders in the NCAA Championship.
Colgate carried the momentum shift forward, taking strong control of the run of play and finding their attacking form. The next five shots and two corner kicks of the match were for the Raiders, showing a level of pressure unseen to that point. But another goal against the run of play turned out to be the decider.
USF got the game winner from a corner in the 72nd minute. Taken quickly by Tony Taylor who earned the privilege after an incisive run through the Colgate backline, the Bulls played it short to junior Kevon Neaves. The midfielder sent it far post into a throng of both maroon and white jerseys. It fell to junior defender Yohance Marshall, who took the pinball well inside the six yard box and fired it past goalkeeper David Cappuccio.
It almost wasn't enough for the Bulls as in the 89th minute Colgate took a free kick 30 yards from goal. Off the cross a strong header from junior striker Matt Leach hit the left post, and the follow up volley went wide of the mark as well.
For the match the Bulls put seven shots on goal to the Raiders five, and both sides notched six corner kicks.
The Bulls now move on to face the 14th seeded Akron Zips on Wednesday, November 28th at 7:30 p.m. For more information on the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship, log onto www.ncaachampionships.com
