Sept. 16, 2011
Final Stats
PRINCETON, N.J. - A goal from Princeton's Matt Sanner in the second overtime lifted defending Ivy League champion Princeton (1-2-1 overall) to a 2-1 victory over Villanova (2-2-2 overall, 0-0-0 BIG EAST) in a men's soccer game played at Roberts Stadium here tonight.
The goal put a stunning end to a wild final 25 minutes of soccer. There were a total of three penalty kicks awarded in the contest, including two in the final 10 minutes of regulation. VU's Emerson Lawrence converted the Villanova chance in the 82nd minute to give the `Cats a 1-0 lead. Just under six minutes later, Mark Linville converted his penalty kick to knot the contest at 88:18.
In the first half, Princeton's Antoine Hoppenot had sent a penalty kick off the post.
"I thought we kind of had a slow start in the first half and they had the better of the play," stated Villanova head coach Tom Carlin. "In the second half, we had the better of the play and created a ton of chances. We got the goal we needed. It was a set up by Dylan Renna to create the penalty.
"We weren't able to finish the game, though, and we have to be able to do that. There was a ball that came up and the referee ruled it a hand ball. We bounced back well in the overtime - we came out to win it. I liked our energy. We had our chances but they made the last one count."
The Tigers generated the best chance of the early going in the 10th minute. Cameron Porter controlled a ball inside the box and had enough time to turn and shoot at Wildcats goalkeeper John Fogarty. But late pressure from the `Cats defense forced Porter to shoot more quickly than he might have preferred and the shot sailed over the goal.
Renna later created a set piece for the Wildcats when he was fouled just to the right side of the box after dribbling past a Tiger defender. Senior Chris Christian sent a curling shot from the tough angle that nearly caught the upper left side of the net in the 17th minute.
A pivotal play came with 16:38 to play in the first half. Hoppenot was taken down inside the box and the Wildcats were whistled for the foul. He was awarded a penalty kick but his shot along the natural grass surface caromed off the left post and rolled harmlessly into the corner. The game remained scoreless.
Senior Kevin Garcia and Kyle Soroka teamed up for a quality chance in the 37th minute as Garcia lofted a ball over the defense towards Soroka, who was positioned on the opposite side of the box. Soroka lifted a nifty one-timer that sailed just over the crossbar. Less than a minute later, a Soroka shot was stopped by Tiger goalkeeper Max Gallin at 38:10.
Fogarty was forced to make a strong diving save when Joe Saitta sent a blast that appeared ticketed for the left side of the net off a set piece 30 yards in front of the goal.
The first half ended with the score deadlocked at zero. VU owned a 5-4 advantage in shots while the Tigers were awarded five corner kicks to the `Cats three. In sum, it was a very even first half.
The Wildcats came out with a strong surge in the second half, generating a corner kick in the 47th minute followed shortly thereafter by a scrum in the box that saw Gallin collect the ball just before Soroka could gain control of it for a shot. A short time later Kyle McCarthy flicked a header that Gallin had to be alert on to keep matters deadlocked.
"We really put the pressure on them," noted Carlin.
A sharp passing play between freshman Aaron Dennis, Renna and Lawrence nearly put the `Cats on top in the 54th minute but Gallin got his body in front of the shot to make the save for the Tigers.
There was more Wildcat heat on the Tigers in the latter stages of the half. Freshman Hayden Harr produced a trio of shots, the more dangerous of the two forcing a Gallin save in the 82nd minute. A third Harr shot nearly found the top right corner but Gallin got a hand on it to keep the match scoreless.
VU's heat finally forced Princeton to crack at 82:23 when the Tigers pulled Lawrence down in the box. The Newark, N.J. native converted the penalty kick and the Wildcats had the 1-0 lead.
The Tigers got a set piece of their own just outside the Villanova box less than a minute later but the shot from 19 yards was blocked by the Wildcats wall. A bid by Princeton's Myles McGinley to tie the game sailed high above Fogarty's net in the 87th minute.
With 1:42 left in regulation, Villanova was whistled for a hand ball in the box, giving Princeton its second PK of the night. This time, the Tigers' Mark Linville made the most of his opportunity, although Fogarty nearly made a heroic save. The senior goalie got his body on the low shot towards the near side post but there was just enough momentum left on the blast to allow it to roll inside the right post at 88:18.
The Wildcats created a terrific chance in the 96th minute thanks to Oscar Umar. But the shot from the left side by the freshman rolled just wide of the Tigers net.
The game-winner came early in the second overtime. Hoppenot found Chris Benedict along the right side. Benedict fed a ball into the box that Sanner collected and then fired a shot into the middle of the net, past Fogarty, to give the Tigers the sudden victory at 101:47.
The Wildcats will have the chance to rebound when they host another Ivy League team on Sunday at the Villanova Soccer Complex at 4:00 p.m.
"It's disappointing but we have to get ourselves ready for Penn," stated Carlin. "That's where we have to put our focus."
