For the first time in program history, Bryant will advance to the #NECMSOC championship after outlasting Saint Francis U in penalty kicks (3-0) after playing to a 2-2 draw. St. Francis Brooklyn outsted top-seeded Central Connecticut to return to the championship game, searching for its first title since 1998. The match time is slated for 1:00 pm Sunday. Watch all the action live on NEC Front Row.
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Semifinal #1
#4 St. Francis Brooklyn 2, #1 Central Connecticut 0
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New Britain, CT -- Northeast Conference first team selection Kevin Correa (Flushing, NY/Flushing) scored two goals as fourth-seeded St. Francis Brooklyn upset #1 Central Connecticut State en-route to Sunday's #NECMSOC championship.
In the 61st minute, the Terriers ended the stalemate for the first goal of the match. After a CCSU foul, the ball was placed outside the box to the left. Correa stepped up and blasted a left-footed strike that sailed to the top right corner of the goal, beating CCSU keeper Josef Abele (Manchester, CT/East Catholic) for the 1-0 lead.
The 2012 NEC Rookie of the Year struck again in the 73rd minute. After receiving a well-executed pass from Gabriel Bagot (New York, NY/Edison Academic Center), Correa sent a right-footed shot from the right of the box into the left side of the net extending St. Francis Brooklyn's lead to 2-0.
SFBK keeper Jack Binks (Darlington, England/Hurworth Comprehensive) turned in his seventh clean sheet of 2013. Binks made 6 saves, and fought off a Blue Devil squad that fired 10 shots in the second half.
Central Connecticut was down two All-NEC selections, but the Blue Devils were led by Ben Knight (Nottingham, UK/Burton Albion Youth) with two shots, both on goal. Knight had a couple of free kick opportunities early in the second half, but SFBK's Binks got a hand on each shot.
St. Francis Brooklyn held a 10-2 shot advantage going into the break, but roles reversed for the second part of the contest, as the Blue Devils out shot the Terriers 10-2 in the second half.
No. 4 St. Francis Brooklyn takes #3 Bryant in the #NECMSOC Championship match on Sunday, November 17 at the Soccer Field in New Britain, CT. Kick-off is slated for 1:00 pm.
Semifinal #2
#3 Bryant 2, #2 Saint Francis U 2, (Bryant advances via PKs, 3-0)
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New Britain, CT -- In dramatic fashion, #3 Bryant University advanced to the #NECMSOC Championship match on Sunday. After playing #2 Saint Francis U to a 2-2 deadlock after 90 minutes of regulation and two overtime periods. Bryant goalkeeper Chris Knaub (Yarmouth, ME/Yarmouth) turned away the first two shots he faced, helping the Bulldogs advance with a 3-0 edge in penalty kicks.
Bryant was the first on the scoreboard in the eighth minute. Awarded a free kick just outside the 18, Curtis Orth(Ancaster, Ontario/Hillfield Strathallan) touched the ball back to classmate Pedro-Lucas Ferreira (Boston, MA/Bridgton Academy) and he wired a shot inside the left post for his first-career goal.
A finesse ball from Nick Kolarac (Pittsburgh, Pa./West Allegheny) tied the game at 1-1 in the 37th minute. Kolarac drilled the ball past the Bryant keeper from 18 yards out swinging the momentum to the Flash.
Pablo Medina (Monterrey, Mexico/IMG Academies) bended a set kick into the box in the 70th minute, giving Ryan Byers (Scottdale, PA/Southmoreland) the angle needed to head the ball into the top left corner of the Bryant goal, giving the Frankies a 2-1 advantage.
With time winding down, Shane Murphy (Kennett Square, PA/Unionville) stepped up to a free kick attempt just outside the box. The junior played a perfectly placed ball onto the head of a streaking Connor Norat (Wilmington, DE/Salesianum School) who redirected it by SFU keeper Daniel Valcicak (Herndon, VA/Gonzaga College) for the equalizer with just 1:30 left on the clock.
The two teams then played 20 minutes of scoreless overtime before deciding the game in penalty kicks. Shooting first, Norat buried his shot inside the left post. Knaub followed with an outstanding diving stop on the first Red Flash attempt. Lucas Guerriero (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary Catholic) converted his attempt in the second round and Knaub followed with another superb save to keep SFU off the board. In the deciding third round, Murphy potted his attempt in the upper left corner before the third Red Flash attempt rang off the crossbar, punching Bryant's ticket to the championship game.
No. 4 St. Francis Brooklyn takes #3 Bryant in the #NECMSOC Championship match on Sunday, November 17 at the Soccer Field in New Britain, CT. Kick-off is slated for 1:00 pm.