Wednesday, November 2
South Bend, IN
7 p.m.
Syracuse University
0
at
0
Notre Dame
Robert Cavicchia made six saves for the Orange Wednesday to notch his sixth shutout of the season.
SU Eliminated from 2005 BIG EAST Championship
11/2/2005 9:53:29 PM | Men's Soccer
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The SU men’s soccer team (7-8-4), the Red Division’s sixth seed lost to Blue Division #3 Notre Dame after 110 minutes of scoreless soccer, 4-2, in a penalty kick shootout in the first round of the 2005 BIG EAST Championship on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at Alumni Field. It was the first time the Orange had ever competed in a shootout.
Notre Dame’s Justin McGeeney gave the Irish a 1-0 lead in penalty kicks with a shot to the left side of the net. The Orange’s Pete Rowley (Reading, Pa.) tied the shootout 1-1 with a score on SU’s first kick. Ian Etherington converted on the Irish’s second chance to put Notre Dame in front, 2-1. SU’s Brad Peetoom (Abbotsford, British Columbia) had an opportunity to tie the shootout, but his shot hit the crossbar and deflected over the goal. On the Irish’s third opportunity, Kurt Martin scored to put the Irish in front by two, 3-1. Senior Mike McCallion (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) had a chance to bring SU within one, but his kick sailed over the goal. SU keeper Robert Cavicchia (North York, Ontario) kept the Orange’s chances alive, stopping Joe Lapira on the Irish’s fourth kick, and Isaac Collings (Oriskany, N.Y.) got SU within one, scoring on the Orange’s fourth chance. Notre Dame’s Matt Besler sealed the match, scoring on the Irish’s fifth kick to put Notre Dame in front by two with only one SU player left to shoot.
Cavicchia finished with six saves in the contest and he posted his sixth shutout of the season holding the Fighting Irish without a goal the entire match. It is the most shutouts for an SU keeper since 1994 when Josh McGibbon recorded seven and two shy of the Orange freshman record of eight shutouts shared by Joe Papaleo (1979) and Charlie Wilke (1989).
Syracuse had several good scoring chances and registered 17 shots in the contest. Two shots by Collings, one in the first half and one with less than three minutes to go in the second period hit the post and crossbar, respectively.
The Orange offense came out firing from the outset of the match. Collings ripped his first shot off the goal post. The ball was deflected by Notre Dame keeper Chris Cahill just enough it hit the outside of the far right post. Approximately, eight minutes later, SU nearly grabbed the lead again, but Peetoom couldn’t get his foot on a corner kick served in front of the Notre Dame net. Rowley also registered an excellent scoring chance in the first half, beating the Irish defense, but his shot was stopped by Cahill who came out challenge him on the play.
Notre Dame’s (10-6-3) best two scoring opportunities came late in the first period. In the 30th minute, McGeeney found himself alone in the box, but Cavicchia made a diving save that kept the match scoreless. The Fighting Irish had another chance to take the lead when Lapira received a pass in the box with no defenders near him, but his shot with 15 seconds left went wide.
The Orange outshot Notre Dame, 11-8, in the period. SU also held the advantage in corner kicks in the half, 8-3.
Notre Dame’s defense stiffened in the second half and held the Orange offense to three shots in the period. One of those was another terrific chance by Collings with 2:25 left in regulation, but his shot went off the crossbar and over the endline.
The Irish outshot SU, 11-3, in the second frame. Lapira had three chances after halftime to net the game-winner, but one shot from 10 yards out went wide and his two other shot attempts from inside the box were stopped by Cavicchia.
Notre Dame continued to keep up its offensive pressure, outshooting SU, 7-1, in first overtime. The Orange defense was up to the challenge consistently clearing the ball out of the box.
In the second golden goal period, James Goodwin (Merrimack, N.H.) almost ended the match launching a shot that went just wide in the 107th minute.
Rowley led the Orange attack with six shot attempts.
Lapira recorded a game-high 11 shots and Cahill made five saves in goal for the Irish.
Notre Dame will meet Red Division #2 St. John's in the quarterfinals of the championship on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 7:00 p.m.
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