By: John Jay Sports Information
Box Score In a back-and-forth championship match, the fifth seeded men's soccer team was crowned CUNYAC Champions after outscoring No. 2 Hunter College, 7-6, in penalty kicks on a chilly Saturday afternoon on the campus of Brooklyn College.
"One of our goals was to keep a clean sheet tonight," head coach Ridi Dauti said. "We have a very good goalkeeper in
Steven Towler and felt very confident going into penalty kicks. The game plan was to not give Hunter any chances. The guys did a great job with Hunter's strong offense and midfielders. I am very proud of them."
The first half consisted of limited scoring chances for both teams as the backfield dominated the play. Hunter led in the shots category through the first forty-five minutes by a margin of 6-3.
The Bloodhounds intensified the pressure in the second half but could not find the back of the net. In the 68th minute, the Hawks were awarded a penalty kick but did not convert to keep the match scoreless. John Jay outshot Hunter 9-5 in the second period as the game would head into extra time.
Hunter recorded three shots in both overtime periods but S. Towler turned away every shot on goal. Just like the semifinals a week ago, the match would be decided by penalty kicks.
S. Towler made the first save and twin brother
Nicholas Towler converted in round one to give John Jay a 1-0 lead. After round three, the score was knotted at 2-2. In round 10 and the score tied 6-6, junior
Aly Jahin blasted one into the back of the net for the game-winner to capture the Bloodhounds' first CUNYAC Title in program history.
"This team has come a long way," Most Valuable Player S. Towler said. "As the season went on, we kept working hard and are in top form now. We are able to stay calm for the whole game and it's no surprise we are here again with the kind of determination and focus this squad has.
S. Towler notched the victory after making eight saves. Senior
Chris Toledo and sophomore
Andrew DeCanio registered a team-high three shots.
The Bloodhounds will now await word on their seeding in the NCAA Division III Tournament. This will be their first appearance as a program. The selection show is on Monday, November 11, at 1:30 pm on the NCAA DIII website.
